


Ronin Warriors: The Next Generation: Forever You Will Know Me

by Shadow_Chaser



Category: Yoroiden Samurai Troopers | Ronin Warriors
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, First ever published fanfiction, Gen, I prefer YST more than RW now..., Next Generation, really old fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-12-08
Updated: 1999-12-08
Packaged: 2017-12-28 03:55:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 48,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/987371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_Chaser/pseuds/Shadow_Chaser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Ronin Warriors' children must try to save their parents and themselves from being nonexistent in time. -Alternate Universe-</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ronin Warriors: The Next Generation: Forever You Will Know Me

**Author's Note:**

> This is the whole Next Generation story on fanfiction.net collected into one full story. The one published on ff.net has the incorrect publish date due to ff.net going through changes back in 2001. This was my first ever published fanfic and fair warning - it's quite...bad. It also has a dreaded Mary Sue...or several... I'm publishing it here because of nostalgia and for archival purposes.
> 
> There was a sequel planned or rather a prequel describing how my Mary Sue met up with the Warriors, but I will probably never publish that since I've all but moved away from Mary Sues after that.

#  Ronin Warriors: Next Generation: Forever You Will Know Me

New Characters:

 

**2012 AD-**

_Conjunction Ronins (C-Ronins)_

 

Sayli Sanada:

Age: 15

Hair: black with a hint of brown-long (to the waist)

Eyes: light blue-green

Armor: Wildfire-Conjunction; Inferno-Conjunction

Info:

            Sayli is the daughter of Ryo Sanada and Mia Koji-Sanada.  Leader of the C-Ronins.  She is more like her father in concerns with temper, interests (soccer) and would gladly sacrifice herself in order to get the job done.

 

Kaira (pronounced: Kir-Ra) Hashiba:

Age: 14

Hair: dark blue with white forelocks-shoulder blades length (her whites are pulled back)

Eyes: cerulean blue

Armor: Strata-Conjunction; Elements

Info:

            She is the daughter of Rowen and Kareyn Hashiba.  Hiro is her second cousin.  Her interests range from both her father and mother.  She likes to be a bookworm, and has a sarcastic mouth.  She is almost always defying Sayli’s orders.  She is at odds with Sama.

 

Sama Date

Age: 15

Hair: blonde (spiked)

Eyes: purple-green edges

Armor: Halo-Conjunction

Info:

More ever like his father, Sage Date, and not his mother Shiea Date, Sama is very egotistical.  He considers himself as God’s divine gift, and is always at odds with Kaira.

 

Shino Mouri

Age: 15

Hair: brown-red (think Cpt. Gideon from Crusade)

Eyes: sea green

Armor: Torrent-Conjunction

Info:

            Shino is the third best cook in par with his dad Cye Mouri and mom Christine Carter-Mouri.  He is best friends with Hiro and is a sort of a pacifist.  He out going like his mother, not shy like his father.

 

Hiro Yui Fuan

Age: 15

Hair: black-blue (mostly black) (think Col. O’Neill from Stargate SG-1)

Eyes: hazel

Armor: Hardrock-Conjunction

Info:

            Hiro is the garbage compactor of the house, eating more foods than Kento Fuan, his father, could eat.  His mom jokingly calls the two the “trash can”.  Luckily, his best friend, Shino can cook.  Hiro is the one who will jump into battle headfirst.

 

**1989 AD-**

_Ronin Warriors_

*You already know who are Rowen, Ryo, Cye, Kento, and Sage.  So I don’t have to tell you.

 

Kareyn Wu

Age: 16

Hair: blue-black (cut short-almost boy’s style)

Eyes: cerulean blue

Armor: Armor of the Elements (black and white)

Kanji: Bravery

Special Attack: Earth’s Fury Attack!

                           Nature’s Destruction Wave!

Background: dad- Chinese-works for the US government

                       mom- American-works as a US Air Force pilot

Info:

            Kareyn is the cousin to Kento and came to Japan on a search for the Ronin Warriors to help her defeat the new evil called Red Dungeon, lead by Chaos their leader, one month after Talpa was defeated.  Kareyn now lives with the boys, since her father was assigned to be ambassador to Japan for the USA.  Her mother is currently on some mission in Persia.

 

**2012 AD-**

_Villains:_

 

Raven:

            He wears the armor of Darkness and is the leader of the four warlords.  He is faithful to Shadow Lord, and will do anything to serve him.  Raven has a very deep history with the Hashiba line of family.

 

Blackfire-Ryo:

            He is the evil clone of Ryo, created when Talpa came back a third time to try to take over the human world.  Everything is exactly the same, except for his armor, the armor of Blackfire.  He is the worst enemy Ryo or his daughter Sayli has ever encountered.

 

Kamagati:

            She is the warlordess of the armor of Fears.  Ever so faithful to Shadow Lord, she despises Dais and Sage.

 

Blackhawk:

            Junior to the group, he is eager for battle, and that usually messes up plans.  He wears the armor of Demons, and can summon nether sprits from wherever.  He can also summon dead people as ghosts.

 

                                                *                      *                      *

_Chapter 1_

## Year: 2012 AD

            “In order to beat these Ronin Warriors and Conjunction Ronins, we need a more powerful weapon, Master,” Blackhawk, Warlord of Demons said.

            “In time, you will.  But, now you must go into the past and destroy the Ronin Warriors.  If you succeed, then you won’t need a powerful weapon,” a shadowy figure said sitting upon his throne room.

            “Yes, my master.  We will obey you,” Raven, Warlord of Darkness said.

            The shadowy figure moved his hand, and a dark portal flared up.

            “This is a time portal.  Remember, destroy the Ronin Warriors,” the shadowy figure said.

            Raven nodded, and he and his three other fellow warlords: Blackhawk, Blackfire-Ryo, and Kamagati stepped through the portal.

                                                *                      *                      *

            “Come on, dad!  You can do better than that!” Sayli Sanada said to her father Ryo Sanada, who was laughing as he ran to get the soccer ball.

            “You forget, Sayli.  I’m thirty-nine years old.  I can’t keep up that well,” Ryo said tossing her the ball.

            “Well, you seem to keep up very well when we’re in battle,” Sayli commented as she dribbled the soccer ball then kicked it.

            “Heads up!” Rowen Hashiba’s voice cried out as a neon yellow Frisbee flew to where Ryo and Sayli were.

            “I got it!” Sama Date’s voice said, and a blonde tuff of hair whizzed by and jumped up and caught the Frisbee.

            “What gives!  Leave it to mister show-off,” Kaira Hashiba, daughter to Rowen, said shaking her head and burying herself back into a book she was reading.

            “Well, I can’t help it if my ego is that big.  I got it from my dad!” Sama said, making his dad, Sage Date blush.

            “I SAID OUT!!” a voice yelled from within the house.

            Suddenly Kento Fuan and his son Hiro ran out of the house.  A very angry Cye Mouri and his son Shino were both standing in the front door, holding spatulas, and faces turning red.

            “Sheez, after twenty-three years, you still kick me out!” Kento exclaimed, giving Cye a hurt look.

            “After it is done, then you can come in.  Until then, no one in the kitchen.  That includes you too Rowen,” Cye said, giving a look at the kitchen accident-prone.

            “Well, excuse me.  I can’t help it if I can’t cook,” Rowen said.

            There was a sudden beeping of a horn and Mia’s red hover jeep pulled up to the mansion’s driveway.  She parked the car and three ladies followed by Mia climbed out of the car.

            “Hey, how was the shopping?” Ryo asked Mia Koji-Sanada, his wife.

            “Ask them,” Mia said pointing to the three ladies who were piled with bags.

            Shiea Date, Sage’s wife was laughing at a joke, Sage made.  While, Teiruya Fuan, Kento wife, handed her bags to Kento who almost tipped over from the weight, and Christine Carter-Mouri, Cye’s wife was grinning at the sight of Cye and Shino dressed in aprons and holding spatulas.  Rowen looked on sadly, Ryo noticed, and he went over to comfort him.

            “Hey, buddy, it’s not your fault that Kareyn died during one of our toughest battles.  She knew the consequences of becoming a Ronin Warrior.  Don’t blame yourself,” Ryo said.

It was always the same thing every time.  It was about three years ago that Kareyn lost her life during at fierce battle against the resurrected Emperor Talpa.

_Flash!_

            “I can do this Rowen!  You don’t have to baby me as if I was fifteen years old.  He needs to be destroyed from within, and with Ryo knocked out, Sayli is not strong enough to handle the Armor of Inferno.  I’m the second one to do it!” Kareyn shouted.  “Mommy, what will happen?” Kaira asked, tugging at the hard shoulder blades of Kareyn’s armor.  “Nothing, honey.  Just stay with papa,” Kareyn reassured her.  Kaira stood next to Rowen, looking up at them in concern.  “Mommy, don’t go,” Kaira whispered.  “I love you, forever,” Rowen croaked out.  Kareyn swept him up in a deep kiss, then parted and walked towards Talpa, not looking back.  A few minutes later, a big flash of light, and Talpa was extinguished forever.  But, so was Kareyn.

_Flash!_

            “But, if I hadn’t let her go…” Rowen trailed off, his eyes tearing up.

            “We wouldn’t have been here.  Emperor Talpa would have control over the whole world by now!  It’s okay Rowen; she died a warrior’s death.  It’s three years, you need to move on,” Ryo said.

            Blinking the tears back, Rowen looked at his daughter sitting in the tree, completely oblivious to the outside world, just into her book.

            “Yeah, I guess your right,” Rowen said.

            Suddenly he felt a sharp pain through his heart.  Clutching his chest, he sank to the ground.  He felt Ryo in pain, as with the others.  ‘ _What’s going on?_ ’ Rowen thought as he blacked out.

                                                *                      *                      *

            “It’s time,” Lady Kayura said to the five C-Ronins, standing around the various couches the Ronin Warriors were laid on.

            “What is going on?” Sayli asked, the leader of the C-Ronins.

            “I knew this day was inevitable.  This is the day, in which the Ronin Warriors fought the four Dark-warlords of Shadow Realm.  My globe says that the dark-warlords have traveled back into time, to destroy your fathers, when they were your age, about two months after Talpa’s second fall.  You must stop them, if you want to survive.  The Ronins are experiencing pain, they are dying, slowly but surely,” Kayura said.

            “I’m in,” Hiro said, looking worriedly at his mom who was saying prayers.

            “Me too,” Shino said, his mom, running around, in almost-panicky type of state.

            “You know me,” Sama said.

            “Duh, I’m the leader,” Sayli said stating the obvious.

            “What about you Kaira?” Kayura asked, seeing Kaira hovering worriedly over her dad, the only thing she has left in the world.

            “Will, I be able to see my mom again?” Kaira asked.

            “Yes, but remember, they are your age and what ever you say, may affect the future,” Kayura warned.

            “I say go,” Kaira said.

            Kayura took the Ancient’s staff and said some words.  A portal appeared and Kayura motioned them to go forward.

            “Good luck,” Mia said, as they C-Ronins stepped through.

            The portal sealed behind.

                                                *                      *                      *

## Year: 1989 AD

            “Come on!  You guys promised that you would go shopping, or at least walk around town with us,” Kareyn begged.

            “Well…” Kento said trailing off.

            Kareyn huffed in frustration, walked over to Kento and smacked him in the back of his head.

            “Ow!  What was that for?” Kento said rubbing his head.

            “Well, we did make you two girls a promise,” Ryo started.

            “Good!  Then lets go!” Mia said, dragging Ryo from the couch.

            Ryo tried to plant his feet firmly on the ground in protest, but Mia was strong.

            “Ah hell.  Let’s just go, so I don’t have to hear my cousin’s whining all day long,” Kento said, shutting off the TV and walking out to Mia’s car.

            Cye and Sage followed him.  Kareyn looked at Rowen, who was absorbed in a book about astronomy.

            “Hey Strata!  You coming?” Kareyn asked, using the nickname she gave him.

            “Yeah, just a second,” Rowen said distractedly.

            Kareyn threw up her hands in frustration and walked over to where Rowen sat.  She put a quick kiss on his cheek and saw him color red.

            “Now are you coming?” she asked.

            “Alright,” Rowen said grinning.

                                                *                      *                      *

            “Now, you guys we’ll meet up in front of here in about one hour,” Mia said, and the guys parted, leaving Mia and Kareyn alone.

            “Alright,” Mia said after they were alone, “what’s first?”

            “First, is to get you some cool looking clothes.  Then off to the hair stylist, and then some make-up for you to wear,” Kareyn said grinning like an idiot.

                                                *                      *                      *

            “Who’s idea was it to have Kareyn and Mia drag us here,” Kento complained, as the boys were in a book shop that Rowen insisted on going into.

            Kento looked around as no one answered him and saw Rowen picking a couple of fat books, and a couple of medium ones that Kareyn might like.  He looked over Rowen and saw Ryo reading a book about tigers, Cye reading a cookbook, and Sage.  Kento shook his head.  Sage was once again surrounded by girls from school.  They were called, The We Love Sage Date Committee.  Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was almost an hour before they had to meet Kareyn and Mia.

            “You guys!  Time’s running out!” Kento called.

            Ryo nodded and tapped Cye on the shoulder, and as they passed by Rowen, they dragged him along.

            “Hey, wait!  I’ve got to pay for these,” Rowen said, holding a big fat book up and one medium sized one that said Lensman.

            Rowen paid for the two books and as he passed by Sage’s little group he called out, “Sage!  We’ve got another appointment.  Remember?”

            Rowen saw Sage whisper something to the girls and then leave the group.  They walked to where they were going to meet Mia and Kareyn.

                                                *                      *                      *

            “So, how was the trip?” Mia asked as she drove her red jeep back to the mansion.

            “Productive,” Sage said.

            “That’s only because you met with your fans,” Kento pouted.

            “I brought you the Lensman book you always wanted,” Rowen said to Kareyn, who was sitting next to him.

            “Thanks, Strata,” Kareyn said, hugging him, making Rowen blush slightly; in turn made Kento laugh out loud; which made Rowen even redder.

            “Watch out!” Ryo suddenly called out.

            Mia suddenly slammed the brakes, sending everyone jolting forward then back in place by the seatbelts.  Cye looked ahead and saw four dark figures standing in the middle of the empty road.  One of the dark warriors pointed a sword at the car, it’s tip glowing brightly.

            “Everyone, out of the car!” Ryo yelled, unhooking his seat beat and opening the car door.

            Everyone jumped clear as the ball of energy flew towards the car.  It lifted the car up and dropped it down.  By now the Ronins were in their sub-armor, and in a defensive semi-circle.

            “Who are you?  What do you want?” Ryo said to the four dark warriors.

            “We are the Dark-warlords of the future.  We are here to destroy you,” one of the warlords said.

            “Yeah, so come on!  We’ll beat the crap out of you,” a youthful dark warrior said.

            “Shut your mouth up, Blackhawk!” a female dark warrior, said.

            “Nether soldiers of the future!  Come forth and attack!” the first warlord yelled into the air.

            “Yes, Raven, as you command,” one of the nether soldiers said, appearing in front of the warlords.

            Kareyn looked around her and saw that there were numerous nether soldiers.  They converged on her, and she flipped kicked one in the face.  Next to her, Sage smashed the faceplate of one of the nether soldiers.  Both soldiers disappeared into thin air.

            “Ryo, we need to armor up!” Kento called out, struggling with two nether soldiers.

            “Ronin Warriors to arms,” Ryo said.

            “Armor of Elements!  Dao Shi!”

            “Armor of Hardrock!  Dao Gi!”

            “Armor of Halo!  Dao Chi!”

            “Armor of Strata!  Dao Inochi!”

            “Armor of Torrent!  Dao Shin!”

            “Armor of Wildfire!  Dao Ji!”

            Kareyn pulled out her katana and slashed two soldiers in the chest, making them fall smoking to the ground.

            “Ugh!  They just keep coming and coming,” Cye complained, decapitating a nether soldier’s head with his yari.

            “Armor of Inferno!” Ryo yelled out, and the Ronins except for Kareyn let their armor powers to Ryo, to form the Inferno Armor.

            “Get out of the way!” Kareyn called out.

            Cye, Kento, Rowen and Sage lifted themselves on to their bubbles of power and hovered there as Kareyn and Ryo prepared to combine their sure-kills.

            “Earth’s Fury Attack!” Kareyn yelled, her sword motions preparing the sure-kill.

            “Rage of Inferno!” Ryo yelled, combining the Inferno Armor’s sure-kill to Kareyn’s.

            Both sure-kills power housed their way through the nether soldiers, destroying them.  They reached the four dark-warlords and enveloped them in a bright flash of light.  When the light faded, the warlords were still standing.

            “That tickled,” Kamagati, the female warlady said.

            Kento felt his jaw drop open as he saw the warlords in perfect condition, only a hint of burnt mark on their armors.

            “If that tickled, then maybe this won’t,” a girl’s voice said from behind the warlords.

            “Sayli of Wildfire.  So glad you can join us.  Lady Kayura must have sent you to destroy us,” Raven said.

            “Well, glad you’re the perspective one Raven,” a sarcastic voice said in the air.

            “She’s not the only one that’s here,” another voice said in the air.

            “Well, it would seem as if we must leave for now.  Ta ta Ronins, we will meet again,” Raven said and disappeared in a flash, followed by three other flashes.

            Ryo looked at the five teenagers standing about ten feet away.  He felt suspicious.  The teens were wearing almost the exact same armor as they were.

            “Who are you?” Kareyn asked, breaking the silence.

            The one in the red armor took off her helmet and Ryo recoiled.  He saw a lot of him in the face and a little of Mia.

            “I am Sayli Sanada.  Bearer of Wildfire-conjunction armor.  We are from the future,” Sayli said.

            The one in the green armor took off his helmet.  Sage blinked his eyes; the person standing in front of him looked like a mirror, except that his hair was spiked up.

            “The name’s Sama Date.  I have the Halo-conjunction armor,” Sama said.

“Egotistical person,” a girl in blue muttered.

            “Shut up,” Sama shot back to the blue armored warrior.

            “Why don’t you,” the blue warrior countered.

            “Hashiba!  Stand down,” Sayli said, her voice strict as a drill sergeant.

            “Kaira Hashiba, I have the Strata-conjunction armor and the armor of Elements,” Kaira said, glaring at Sama, as she took off her helmet.

            “Hiro Fuan, and Hardrock-conjunction is my armor,” a sort of pug boy said, removing his helmet to show his mostly black-blue hair.

            “Shino Mouri, bearer of Torrent-conjunction,” Shino said, his slightly English-Southern American accent coming into play.

            The Ronin Warriors were silent, shocked, and surprised.

            “Future Ronins?” Kento asked, not believing what his ears heard.

            “Our own kids?” Sage said, blinking his eyes.

            “Prove it,” Kareyn said, looking at Sayli straight in the eye.

            “Okay,” Sayli said, and closed her eyes, “Sayli Sanada, born on August 2nd, 1997.  Parents, Ryo Sanada and Mia Koji-Sanada.  Ryo, the wearer of Wildfire and Inferno; defeated Talpa twice, well, three in the future.  Ryo’s mother died when he was in a young age, and father killed on a photography expedition on lions.  Mia Koji, grandfather died when Sekhemet possessed him and Mia is part French and part Japanese.”

            Ryo was thankful that he had sheathed his twin katanas, because if he didn’t he would have dropped them right then and there on to the ground in surprise.  ‘ _I will marry Mia?_ ’ he thought.  Mia looked shocked.  Sayli motioned Sama forward.

            “Sama Date,” Sama started, “born on May 16th, 1997.  Parents, Sage and Sheia Date.  Sage wears the armor of Halo and is known as the Flirt King of Han’a High.  His mom is Japanese and dad married into the Date family, he’s a police officer.  His grandfather owns a dojo, and he trains there.  Sheia is a small time model, mostly a journalist.”

            Sage tried without success to picture his future wife, as he took in Sama’s information.  Sama ribbed Shino and he stepped forward.

            “Do I have to?” Shino said, shyly.

            “Yes,” Sayli, Hiro, and Sama said.

            Shino cleared his throat and suddenly found the ground fascinating, “Shino Mouri, born on April 4th, 1997.  Cye Mouri and Christine Carter-Mouri parents.  Um, Cye is British and is a great cook, and he wears the armor of Torrent.  Christine is an American from the south.  She is the second best cook in the house.  Both usually chase either Kento or Hiro out of the house.”

            “Hey, that’s not funny!  Some one has to eat ya know,” Hiro complained, as Shino turned red in the face and jammed his helmet back on.

            “Hiro Yui Fuan, born on April 29th, 1997.  Ma and Pa are Kento, as you all know, and Teiruya Fuan.  Kento is basically an older me.  Ya know, like eating, watching football and both have the armor of Hardrock.  Ma is a bit different.  She ain’t anorexic or anything, but she’s…” Hiro said.

            “Alright, alright, I get the picture,” Kento said, putting his hands over his ears.

            “Kaira Hashiba, born July 9th, 1998.  Mom, deceased, father is Rowen, the bearer of Strata.  Dad is usually known as the bookworm, to say in the family, and has a sort of sarcastic mouth, not always agreeing with Ryo,” Kaira said and she clamed up.

            “Who’s your mother?” Kareyn asked, curious, but not jealous.

            Kaira mumbled something.

            “What?” Kareyn said.

            “Hashiba, speak up.  That’s a direct order,” Sayli said in a warning tone.

            “No,” Kaira said.

            “Excuse me?” Sayli said facing the C-Ronin of Strata.

            “I said no,” Kaira simply said glaring at C-Ronin of Wildfire.

            “They are your parents.  Tell them,” Sayli said her face inches away from Kaira’s.

            “You know, I’m sick and tired of you bossing me around as if I some sort of junior officer,” Kaira said, some of the Ronins and C-Ronins gasped.

            “You are a junior officer.  Tell them,” Sayli said forcefully.

            Kaira exploded, “Why should I tell them, huh?  Why?  You weren’t there, none of you C-Ronins was there.  All of you were at least in a comatose when we destroyed Talpa!  Ryo was knocked out, and you Sayli, you weren’t even strong enough to finish the job!  My mother had to do it!  She had to sacrifice herself in order to stop Talpa.  It’s not easy to lose your mom when you are eleven years old.  The last thing she gave me was the armor orb of Elements.  She told me it was a weapon that was for last resort.  So don’t go bossing me around, missy, you haven’t experienced what I had!”

            If it was her element, Ryo could have sworn he saw flames encircling Kaira.

            “Uh, your mom, was, uh, Kareyn?” Rowen squeaked out.

            “Yes,” Kaira said, still glaring at Sayli, who was looking down on to the ground, a guilty feeling washing over her.

            “I don’t feel to good,” Kareyn commented and fainted.

            There was a flash of purple light and Lady Kayura appeared.

            “Great just great C-Ronins, you’ve just altered your history,” Kayura said, glaring at Kaira and Sayli.

            “Well, they were going to kill us if we didn’t tell them, and besides, it’s pretty fun seeing all their faces, with the exception of Kareyn’s because she’s passed out, looking like a bunch of fish out of water,” Hiro commented, “no offense to Cye or Shino.”

            Kayura buried her head in her hands, “Ugh.  Okay, did you find the dark-warlords?”

            “Well, they found us,” Ryo said regaining his composure.

            “And we found them,” Sama said.

            “Then they escaped,” Shino summed up.

            “Hey, um, guys, I think we should get back to Mia’s mansion and then we could sort this out,” Rowen said carrying Kareyn in his arms.

            “Aw, how cute,” Kento said egging Rowen, who turned a very bright red.

            “Shut up, Hardrock,” Rowen said angrily, “ just shut up.”

                                                *                      *                      *

_Chapter 2_

 

            Mia made a point to stay away from Ryo, embarrassed and a little shy, when the Ronins and C-Ronins were in a meeting in her living room.  Lady Kayura had called the Future warlords and they were in a new kind of armor.

            “Okay, so you’re saying that your armors are somehow connected to ours.  Almost like a clone of them right?” Ryo said, piecing the information together, he got from the C-Ronins.

            “Yes.  The dark-warlords you encountered came from the Red Dungeon,” Kayura said, bringing the Ronins heads up in surprise.

            They all looked at one another, each face mirroring the other, ‘ _Red Dungeon?  Didn’t we defeat them a month ago?_ ’

            “But,” Kayura said, startling the Ronins from the thoughts, “Their leader is from the Shadow Realm.  Shadow Lord was banned from the Nether World by Badamon.”

Kayura shuddered at the memory of being possessed by the evil Nether spirit.

            “Badamon and Shadow Lord were twin brothers, both equal in mind and both swift at what they plan to do.  Technically, Shadow Lord is stronger and meaner than Badamon, but Talpa intervened on Badamon’s behalf, and casted him out.  The co-leader of the four dark-warlords is Raven,” Kayura said.

            Rowen sat up straighter, hearing the name.  His memory flashed to something his father and mother told him about and what he read later.

## Flash!

            “Ro-kun, there’s something daddy and mommy have to tell you,” Neiuaga Hashiba said, taking nine-year-old Rowen’s hand and walking him towards the couch in their home.

            “Mommy, is it something to do with my intellectual cranium?” Rowen asked, using some big words not often heard from nine-year-olds.

            “No, Rowen.  This is about our line of family.  Today, I spoke with your history teacher and he was talking about the history of a Great War between good and evil,” Genichiro Hashiba, Rowen’s father said.

            “Does this hafta do with the blue ball you gave to me dad?” Rowen said.

Genichiro smiled slightly at his son’s unusual perceptiveness.

            He ruffled Rowen’s blue hair, “In a slight way.  You see, back about a thousand years ago, there was a Great War between an evil entity named Talpa and our country.  Talpa had recruited many people to fight and die for him.  Your great-great-great-great-great grandfather Sanjuro had a twin brother named Tokoshino.  Tokoshino wanted and craved power.  The military thought he was a great asset to their cause, but they did not give him powers for the fear of him becoming an emperor or something of that nature in which they had no authority over him.  Tokoshino looked to Talpa and there by breaking the close bond he had with Sanjuro.  He along with others were trained and given armors of mystical abilities.  Sanjuro also had a mystical armor, but it was for good.  Eventually, Sanjuro and his team defeated Tokoshino now known as Raven and his team and cast them to a realm of fears.  This is the true history of the Hashiba line, do not listen to what your teacher says, Rowen.  Remember, if there is anything that has to do with Tokoshino, then be careful, know him as the traitor.”

_Know him as the traitor…_

_Him as the traitor…_

_Traitor…_

## Traitor…

**_Flash!_ **

            Rowen jumped a bit startled, as he felt a tapping on his shoulder.          

            “Earth to Rowen.  Come in Strata,” Kareyn said waving a hand in front of his face.

            “I’m awake,” Rowen said bringing himself from the memory.

            “What’s the matter Ro?” Sage asked, looking at the warrior of Strata with concern.

            “I…um, nothing,” Rowen started then shut his mouth up.

            “Is there something you like to share with us?” Sayli said.

            “Raven is my ancestor,” Rowen said judging the reactions he got from his fellow Ronins.

            They were mixed, pity, horror, disgusted, and unemotional.

            “He was once known as Tokoshino Hashiba, and fought in the first war against Talpa.  He had a twin brother, Sanjuro, who was the first wearer of the armor of Strata.  You warlords might know him,” Rowen said, glancing at the three quiet warlords.

            “Yeah, I first thought he was a kid with a hair problem,” Sekhemet said, “but after he joined Talpa’s side and became known as Raven, and fought in the first battle against the Ancient’s Ronin Warriors, I was impressed.  During one of the battles, I heard that he was defeated by the warrior of Strata, and he vowed that he would get revenge upon his family.”

            “Soon after the war, when Shadow Lord was banned from the Nether Realm, Raven went with him faithfully, since he was the commander-in-chief.  I heard that he got a new armor called the armor of Darkness, not like Cale’s but different.  I don’t know what kind of powers it holds,” Kayura continued the narrative.

            “Hmm,” Ryo said in deep thought, “who were the others next to him?”

            “One of them is you,” Kayura said.

            “Excuse me?  Me?” Ryo said baffled.

            “Wait one moment!  Ryo can’t be a warlord,” Kento said standing up.

            “Kento sit,” Cye said, tugging on his best friend’s sleeve.

            Kento sat down fuming.

            “Let me clear it up,” Kayura intervened before any broken bones happened, “he is a clone of you Ryo.  Made when all of you Ronins and C-Ronins were captured in the future.  You, Ryo, after being freed, were forced to fight him, and you won, but you were knocked out in the process.  My guess is after Kareyn defeated Talpa, he joined an alliance with Shadow Lord.  He wears the armor of Blackfire, an evil version of the Wildfire armor.  He knows you inside out, and about the Wildfire armor, Ryo, so when you and Sayli happen to battle him, be extra cautious.”

            Ryo’s mood darkened a bit as he took in the information Kayura was feeding him.

            “Who’s the hot chick in the group,” Sama asked and received a glare from Kaira and Sayli.

            “Like Rowen, I also have a family member on the opposing side.  She is Kamagati, my older sister,” Kayura said, her voice a little shaky.

            Sama immediately wiped the stupid grin off his face as he realized he just about insulted Kayura.

            “Don’t get me wrong, I hated her.  When the clan was starting to battle Talpa, Kamagati immediately wanted to join.  That wasn’t part of the clan’s code of laws.  She was ruthless and bloodthirsty.  She disobeyed the Ancient’s code and we cast her out of the clan.  She disappeared and we thought she had perished along with others.  It wasn’t until our clan was attacked and I was taken, that they realized she had come back to take her revenge.  When I was first in the presence of Talpa, Kamagati was there.  After talking, she pulled me aside and asked me to join her on her quest, for who knows what.  I said no, and after that, I never saw her again,” Kayura said angrily, and pounded her fist against the wall, “Later I learned that she wore the armor of Fears.  Her power is incredible.  She can delve into your mind and pick up your deepest fears and make them a reality in front of you.  She is no longer a sister, but an enemy.”

            Mia handed Kayura a cup of hot tea and she took it gratefully.

            “Alright, the next warlord is not new to the C-Ronins,” Sayli said unconsciously moving herself into leader mode, “Blackhawk is overactive, eager and just wants to battle.  He first appeared in about 2008, when we were just learning how to use our armors.  Eh, in my opinion, he’s easy as icing on a cake.  Just get him to over exert his powers and he’ll be easy.  Though sometimes, he’s a bit psychotic when he fights.  He wears the armor of Demons, and can summon dead people or Nether spirits at his will.”

            After finishing her description, the room was silent except for the ticking of Mia’s grandfather clock.

            “So what now?” Kareyn asked, looking at everyone in the eye.

            “Now we wait,” Ryo said, his mood going a notch lower.

                                                *                      *                      *

            Shadow Lord appeared into the past where the dark-warlords were waiting in the now uninhabited wing of the Nether Realm.

            “WHY DID YOU RUN!” Shadow Lord yelled into the face of Raven, his red glowing eyes boring into Raven’s dark blue ones.

            “My lord, I thought it would be the best course of action to let them wait with fear," Raven said, brushing a few strands of blue hair away from his face.

            Shadow Lord sat back onto the unoccupied throne chair, gazing at Raven with blank unemotional eyes.  He looked pissed, Raven concluded, shaking a bit at what his punishment would be.

            “For this Raven, Kamagati, your lover, will pay,” Shadow said and he lifted a finger.

            Raven’s eyes widened with fear and desperation as he saw tendrils of dark lightning engulf and electrocute Kamagati.  He winced as Kamagati screamed out in pain.  He had served Shadow Lord faithfully for at least five hundred years and this was the only time, someone else had to take his punishment.

            “Master!  Please, stop!  Kamagati does not deserve this.  Please, Master!” Raven yelled, falling to his knees.

            Shadow stopped, and faced Raven.  Raven looked up into the glowing red eyes; they were full of contained anger.  He shivered slightly.

            “You will spend sometime in the Spirit Pool as your punishment,” Shadow said.

            Raven winced inwardly, he hated the Spirit Pool, and it was just about ten times worst than the Nether Pool Talpa had.

            “Yes, Master,” Raven said and Shadow teleported him away.

            Shadow turned to face the rest of the dark-warlords.

            “For the rest of you, I want you to heed this as a warning,” Shadow said.

            The three dark-warlords bowed, Kamagati holding her side in pain.

            “Blackhawk, you are to stay, I have a mission for you,” Shadow said, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture at the two other dark-warlords who instantly teleported to another section in the Nether World.

            “Yes?  Will I be able to kick those Ronin butts?” Blackhawk said, jumping from one foot to another, the battle lust barely contained in him.

            “I want you to target the ones called, Kento of Hardrock, Cye of the Torrent, and their sons, Hiro and Shino.  Getting rid of Torrent will be easy.  He’s a pacifist.  Conjunction Torrent won’t be.  And for both Hardrocks, be extremely careful.  Use you powers to the utmost for Hardrock,” Shadow said.

            “What about those bastard warlords, Kayura and the other Ronins?” Blackhawk asked.

            “They will be of no concern.  I will deal with them,” Shadow said, and Blackhawk grinned like an idiot as he teleported to Earth.

                                                *                      *                      *

            Kareyn was thankful it was summer, instead of the fall season, because then they would have to go to school.  Tension and wariness was in the air as they were all outside.  She watched as Kaira and Sayli run another lap around the mansion.  She found out the two were best friends, but had an odd way of showing it.  Kareyn looked around and saw that Cye and Kento weren’t in the front yard where most of the Ronins were, and neither were their sons.  ‘ _Oh well, guess either Cye and Shino either went swimming or they are being hounded to cook something for Kento or Hiro,_ ’ Kareyn thought as she settled down next to Rowen, by a tree, and brought out the Lensman book to read.

                                                *                      *                      *

            “Cannonball!” Kento yelled in the air as he grabbed his knees and prepared to splash into the water.

            Cye ducked under water and swam away quickly to get out of the way for Kento’s infamous cannonball into the lake that was on Mia’s property.  He resurfaced only to be splashed in the face by the after effects of the cannon ball.  Spitting out lake water, he glared at Kento, who was laughing.

            “BONZAI!!” Hiro’s voice cried out as he leapt into the middle of the glaring-laughing contest.

            Both Cye and Kento were soaked to the skin.  Both dripping wet, and both glaring at Hiro.

            “Yeah, score one for Hiro, the mast of cannonballs,” Hiro exclaimed, grinning at the wet Cye and Kento.

            “You missed one,” Shino said, popping his head out of the water, near Cye.

            Hiro gritted his teeth and dove after the Conjunction Torrent.

            “Do they remind you of us?” Cye commented to Kento as he saw Hiro surface for air then go back down to catch the elusive C-Ronin of Torrent.

            Suddenly, Cye felt a slight pressure in his mind.  He looked at Kento and saw that he also felt it too.  At the same moment, Shino and Hiro popped up, feeling the oppressive pressure.

            “Kento, Hiro, better get on land.  The dark-warlords might be here," Cye warned, transforming into his sub-armor, the cool metal reflecting in the water.

            “Now, now, no need to dress up for me,” Blackhawk said, appearing in the air in the middle of the lake.

            “Well, look it here,” Shino said, his mother’s Cajun arrogance rubbing on him came into play, “look what the cat has dragged in.  A dead warlord.”

He had already transformed into his sub-armor and saw that Kento and Hiro did the same.  Hiro’s sub-armor, looking like someone built it all out of stones and rocks, and his looking like scales on a fish.

            “Shut up, and fight!  I brought a friend.  Meet Leviathan,” Blackhawk said as a dark snake-like figure glided though the water towards the four Ronins.

            Shino immediately felt regret, as he remembered he had a pet baby Leviathan named Algae who he was training to battle.  All thoughts of the Leviathan were washed away when the current Leviathan broke the surface of the water and reared back to show twenty feet of it’s head the body.  Shino looked at the triangular shape of its head and wide mouth it had.  Its eyes were a deep ocean sea blue, and it looked mightily pissed.

            “Now, that’s one uh-gah-ly dude,” Hiro said.

            Blackhawk laughed with maniacal glee as he saw the Leviathan lift his paddle-like tail out of the water and prepared to smash it on the group.

            “Kento, Hiro, get to land!  You’re going to get hurt if you stay in water!” Shino cried out as the tail swung down.

            Shino reacted quickly, using all his swimming lessons, his father had taught him, to get out of the way.  Diving under, he looked back to see the tail enter the water, and caught a glimpse of Hiro’s sub-armor in the after wash of the hit. ‘ _Oh, no.  Hiro,_ ’ Shino thought with dread, as he saw his best friend’s lifeless body float to the surface.

            “Torrent!  Conjunction!” Shino cried out determined to end this water snake’s reign.

            The Torrent armor’s facemask tinted everything to a slight orange as he saw Cye form the original armor of Torrent.  Swimming to the surface, he broke the surface of the water and saw the Leviathan preparing to strike again at Kento who was already in armor, carrying the unconscious Hiro to land.  Shino yelled and waved at the Leviathan, trying to divert its attention to him, and instead of Kento.

            “Hey ugly!  Yeah!  I’m talking to you, walrus breath!  Come and get me!” Shino yelled.

The Leviathan turned his attention away from Kento and focused on Shino.  Shino, treading water, unhooked his trident from his back, and held it in front of him.  Suddenly, Cye popped up next to him, his yari ready too.  The Leviathan glided over to the two of then and opened his maw and prepared to swallow the two pesky water rats.

            “Super Wave Smasher!” Cye yelled his sure-kill.

            “Ice Freeze!” Shino cried out, his trident sending a continuous wave of ice at the Leviathan’s mouth, along with a tsunami wave of energy water from Cye’s yari.  The Leviathan thrashed in the water in pain, as it’s supply of oxygen was cut short.  Finally it crashed into the water, dead.  Shino felt no remorse, for killing one of Earth’s rare sea creatures.  He breathed out in relief.  Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck tingled, and Nether soldiers filled the air and water.  ‘ _Damn,_ ’ Shino thought as he lifted his trident once again to do battle.

                                                *                      *                      *

            Sage blinked in surprise, as he was startled from his mediation.  He looked around to see what had startled him.  Ryo was still playing a game of soccer with White Blaze; Sayli and Kaira had given chase to Sama, and Kaira looked about ready to brain him with a bat.  The warlords were still in deep discussion with Kayura and Mia.  Kareyn had fallen asleep and was using Rowen’s shoulder once again as a pillow.  Rowen had one of his arms wrapped around her and was absently stroking her hair as he read on big fat book on astronomy.  ‘ _All looks normal,_ ’ Sage thought, but the nagging feeling in his mind did not tell him so.  Suddenly there was an explosion and behind Mia’s mansion shot up two streams.  One energy water and one a column of ice.  Sage felt his kanji burning on his forehead and realized that one of the Ronins or C-Ronins was seriously hurt.  Another explosion filled the air and Sage looked up to the sky to see black lightning heading straight towards the ground.  He jumped back and summoned his sub armor as one tendril hit the ground next to him.

            “Armor up!” Ryo cried out, seeing shadow like soldiers appear from the black lightning.

            “Armor of Wildfire!  Dao Ji!”

            “Wildfire!  Conjunction!

            “Armor of Halo! Dao Chi!”

            “Halo!  Conjunction!”

            “Armor of Strata!  Dao Inochi!”

            “Strata!  Conjunction!”

            “Armor of Elements!  Dao Shi!”

            Sage felt himself going through the hand motions that he went though a thousand times before.  A flash, then pain as the shock of the armor forming went through his system.  He gritted his teeth against the pain, and suddenly found himself engulfed in cherry blossoms.  The cherry blossoms touched his skin and hardened into the Halo armor.  Another flash, and Sage found himself back in reality, his Halo armor prepped and ready.  Unsheathing his no-daichi from his hip and held it ready.

            “Alright shadows!  Come and take your best shot!” Sayli said.

            “As if you have any,” Kaira muttered under her breath.

            Sage slashed his no-daichi at the nearest shadow soldier and it fell, fading away.  He ducked as a scythe blade curved over where his head used to be.  Stabbing the sword up, he felt a slight shudder emitting from the shadow soldier as it died, impaled from the jaw of his sword.  Yanking the sword out of the fading shadow’s body, he stood up and kicked another in the jaw, sending that shadow reeling.

            “Come on shadows, afraid of the light?” Sage taunted.

            The shadows surrounded him in a semi circle.  ‘ _Gotcha!_ ’ Sage thought as he prepared his sure-kill.

            “AHH!!  THUNDER BOLT CUT!” Sage yelled, lifting he sword above his head, then swiping it at the semi circled shadows.

            The shadows screamed in pain from the bright light, then they faded away.  Sage breathed a sigh of relief, and looked over to his fellow warriors and warlords who were battling.  He ran over to see if he could help.

                                                *                      *                      *

            Sayli felt like she was about to explode into a furious anger.

            “If I was a volcano, then you guys would be smashed into shit by now!” she yelled angrily as she attacked with her twin katanas.

            Blocking a sword from a shadow soldier, she pushed him out of the way and rammed one of her swords into the stomach of another.  ‘ _That’s it!  There is no way I am going to wait around here for the welcoming party!_ ’ she thought as she put the ends of her twin katanas together.

            “Magma Swipe!” she said, and her katanas’ ends flashed a white color.

            Lifting the sword above her head, she slammed it down towards the ground, sending a bright orange-yellow light towards all the shadows within her proximity of her sure-kill.  The light faded, leaving a big burnt mark on Mia’s lawn and a whole lot of dead shadow soldier bodies.  Sayli could feel her armor burning like fire as she breathed heavily.  ‘ _Thank you, and now, this ends my demonstration,_ ’ she thought wiry as she sheathed her katanas.  Looking to the others, she saw them dealing their sure-kills at their enemies.  Closing her eyes for a moment, she felt her armor disappear, leaving her in her sub-armor.

            “Come on!  Torrent and Hardrock may be in trouble,” Kayura said, and the little group ran in the direction of the lake.

                                                *                      *                      *

            Kento worked furiously to stop the blood from flowing in a nasty gash behind Hiro’s head.  Shino battled the remaining Nether soldiers.  Cye was fighting against Blackhawk.

            “Come on weakling.  You’re too much of pacifist!” Blackhawk taunted at Cye, waving his scythe-spear at Cye.

            Cye didn’t answer.  He had already suffered many bruises to his arms and legs.  Blocking a swing to his stomach he fell back a step.  Suddenly, with too quick hands, Blackhawk reversed to his spear side of his weapon and stabbed it into Cye’s stomach.  Cye cried out in pain and dropped his yari as he sank to the ground.  Blackhawk took the spear out and held it, ready to deliver another blow.  He felt something impact him on the back and looked at his chest.  Sticking out of the front area, was the lower part of Shino’s trident.  Pain came racing up to his lungs, and Blackhawk found himself short of breath.  Gritting his teeth, he reached back and pulled the trident out, forcing himself not to scream.  Discarding the trident into the lake, he turned around and faced Shino.

            “You murderer!  You killed my father!” Shino yelled, his hands balled into fists, and Blackhawk could see blue energy condensing on his fists.

            ‘ _Better watch out.  This is what Shadow Lord warned you about,_ ’ Blackhawk thought.  “I will be back C-Ronin, so you better not be,” Blackhawk warned.

            With that, he teleported back to the Nether Realm.

            Shino watched Blackhawk leave then dashed over to where Cye laid, one arm draped over his wound.

            “Cye, Cye?  Dad?” Shino said shaking him, to see if he would respond.

            “Shino?” Cye said weakly, his sea blue eyes focusing on his future son’s sea green ones.

            “Hey, don’t worry dad.  Help is coming.  Just hold on,” Shino reassured him, barely able to contain the tears in his eyes.

            “Hey!  You alright?” Sama’s voice said, over a hill.

            Shino lifted his head up and saw the rest of the Ronins and warlords pile over the hill.

            “Oh my god,” Mia said as she surveyed the scene around the lake.

            There were Nether soldier armors spread out the lake area.  She noticed Kento tending to someone and Shino leaning over someone.

            “Sage!  Sama!  Cye and Hiro are hurt!” Mia yelled to Sage and Sama as they were running down the hill.

            “We’re on it!” Sama said, running to Hiro, as Sage ran towards Cye.

                                                *                      *                      *

            All the Ronins and warlords were now crowded around Sage who was trying to heal Cye.

            “Damn!  My healing powers don’t work!” Sage growled in frustration as he tried again to heal Cye’s wound.

            “He was stabbed by dark powers.  Your healing won’t help,” Kayura said, as she crouched next to Sage, who was rubbing his eyes tiredly.

            “So what do you suggest,” Ryo asked, praying silently to God to save Cye.

            “Let me try,” Kareyn suggested.

            “How can you heal?” Sama asked, his curiosity piqued.

            Kareyn didn’t reply as she placed both index fingers on either side of Cye’s temple.

            Kareyn closed her eyes, and concentrated.  A faint gray glow began to surround Cye’s body.  Suddenly it turned black, then white and ended with a flash.  Kareyn opened her eyes and saw that Cye’s wound was completely healed.

            “How…” Ryo gaped at her.

            Rowen rushed to Kareyn’s side as she began to teeter from exhaustion.

            “Scratch one warlord, I think,” Kareyn smiled then fell into unconsciousness.

            The Ronins, C-Ronins and warlords looked at each other, their faces grim.  The battle had only begun.

                                                *                      *                      *

##  _Chapter 3_

 

            Ryo glanced at his digital clock on his nightstand.  It read 12:34 AM.  Sighing, Ryo rolled on to his side and gazed out of the window into the night sky.  Thankfully, there were no more attacks by the dark-warlords through the rest of the day.  ‘ _So why can’t I sleep?_ ’ Ryo questioned to himself.  He flopped back on the bed, staring at his ceiling.  After a few minutes, Ryo heaved a sigh and got up from his bed, being careful not to wake the two other occupants in his room, White Blaze and Hiro.  Ryo had volunteered to watch over Hiro, just in case anything happened to his injury.  Stepping over White Blaze, he crept softly outside into the balcony that was joined to his room.  A slight warm breezed greeted his face, and whipped his shoulder length hair around.  It felt peaceful, as if none of the recent battles had anything to do with Mother Nature.

            “Hey, anything wrong?” Mia’s voice said from beside him, startling him a bit.

            “No, not really,” Ryo said, not looking at Mia, just out into the dark blue, almost black oblivion.

            “Come on Ryo, tell me.  What’s bothering you?” Mia persisted, looking at Ryo with concern.

            Ryo sighed in defeat, “Alright.  It’s how this plans of the dark-warlords that’s bothering me.  I mean, Blackhawk was really after Kento and Cye, and not us.  He just sent us a distraction, so that he could score his brownie points.  If we hadn’t killed off those Shadow soldiers, then Cye and Hiro would be dead by now.”

            Mia nodded grimly, “The warlords and Kayura told me more about Shadow Lord’s history.  They say that he can only be defeated by a heart that is pure.”

            “Oh,” Ryo said, “um, Mia?  Why did you stay away from me when we had the meeting?”

            Mia looked at Ryo in shock, and under the hint of moonlight, she saw him blush a bit.

            “I guess…well…I don’t know,” Mia finally said and returned her gaze to the stars.

            Ryo faced her, one of his eyebrows arched in surprise at her answer.  ‘ _Damn you Ryo!  Why don’t you just ‘fess it up and tell her you love her!_ ’ he thought to himself.

            “Goodnight Ryo,” Mia said and moved away from Ryo.

            ‘ _Come on!  Go after her!_ ’ his inner conscience told him.  ‘ _Will you shut up!  I’m going, I’m going!_ ’ he mentally told his conscience.

            “Mia?” Ryo called out, stopping Mia in her tracks.

            “Yes, Ryo?” Mia said, her back facing Ryo.

            Ryo walked over to her and put his arms around her waist.  He turned her around and kissed her full on the lips.  Mia at first panicked, but then relaxed.  After a few moments, Ryo parted and looked into her jade green eyes.

            “Goodnight Mia,” Ryo said, letting her go and walking back to his room.

            Mia just stared in surprise.

                                                *                      *                      *

            The first thing Sayli saw when she woke up was a big tuff of black and white hair, in front of her.

            “My God, White Blaze, don’t scare me like that again,” Sayli said, regaining her composure and scratching White Blaze behind the ears.

            White Blaze purred contently, and Sayli looked over to see Kaira still asleep, one of her arms draped over a chair, the other on her stomach.  Sayli looked over at the digital cow clock; Kareyn had in her room, and noticed it was 9:32 AM.  White Blaze nudged her and Sayli shooed him off.

            “Alright, I’m coming White Blaze.  What do you want to do about Kaira?” Sayli asked, looking at her best friend with weariness.

            Kaira unfortunately, had inherited Rowen’s sleeping habits of sleeping late.  White Blaze gave Sayli the tiger’s equivalent of a shrug and padded out the door.  Sayli left Kareyn’s room, and went to the bathroom to wash and change up.

                                                *                      *                      *

            ‘ _Hey, what’s cooking?_ ’ Ryo thought, as he came down stairs to the dining room.  He went into the kitchen, narrowly missing Kento as he was thrown out of the door.

            “Cye?” Ryo said surprised at his friend, leaning over the stove, cooking breakfast.

            “Oh, hi Ryo.  What do you want for breakfast?  Bacon and eggs with either toast or cereal,” Cye asked, his face crinkling into a smile.

            Ryo noticed Cye still looked pale and exhausted, but otherwise just fine.

            “Um, bacon and eggs with toast,” Ryo said, “hey Cye, you feeling alright?”

            “Yeah, just a wee bit headache once in a while.  Man, I didn’t know Sage could heal me that good,” Cye replied, flipping some bacon over the pan.

            “It wasn’t Sage who healed you, it was Kareyn,” Ryo replied, wandering over to the toaster to see if the bread was ready, “can you tell me about the battle yesterday?”

            “Yeah, sure.  Blackhawk just appeared in the middle of the lake and summoned a bloody large Leviathan.  The Leviathan attacked and Hiro was caught in the after wash that’s how he got the nasty gash.  Anyway, after defeating it, Nether soldiers attacked, and Shino said that he could handle them and told me to go after Blackhawk.  That Blackhawk is quick with his weapon, a spear-scythe.  He’s even faster than Lady Kayura or the warlords.  Sayli wasn’t kidding when she said that he could become psychotic when battling.  I saw in his eyes, Ryo, they were maniacal,” Cye said shuddering a bit.

            “Who’s cooking breakfast!” Hiro’s voice said then he and Shino entered.

            “Cye!” Hiro exclaimed.

            “Dad?” Shino gaped.

            “Alright!  Food!” Hiro yelled and dove after the toast that Ryo was taking out of the toaster.

            “Hiro!  Out!  NOW!” Cye yelled, then suddenly grabbed his head, as pain shot through it.

            “Cye!” Ryo said rushing over to his friend and supported him.

            “Hiro, look at what you’ve done.  Now, let’s go,” Shino said pushing a stricken Hiro out the door and casting a glance at Cye who recovered.

            “Go ahead Ryo, I’ll be fine,” Cye reassured Ryo who looked doubtful.

            “You sure, you’ll be alright?” Ryo asked, uncertain.

            “Yes, now go on and get sleepy head Rowen up,” Cye laughed.

                                                *                      *                      *

            “Your job was not complete,” Shadow Lord said to Blackhawk, his face a disapproving look.

            “But, Master, I did injure Torrent, I think fatally,” Blackhawk explained, looking anywhere but at Shadow.

            Shadow held up his hand to forestall any argument and waved his hand around.  A portal appeared with the picture of Cye cooking and looking healthy.

            “He obviously did not die,” Shadow said flatly.

            “I will do better next time Master!  I promise,” Blackhawk said desperately.

            “You will be confined to solitude for a day.  Think about your mistakes and do not repeat them again or I shall have to eliminate you permanently,” Shadow said and teleported Blackhawk away.

            “Blackfire-Ryo,” Shadow said returning his attention to the matter at hand.

            “Master,” Blackfire said stepping up.

            “Do not make the mistake Blackhawk made.  Destroy the Ronin and C-Ronin leader,” Shadow warned, “you are their greatest enemy because of your knowledge.”

            “Yes sir,” Blackfire said and teleported out.

            “You think he will fail?” Kamagati asked.

            “For his own sake, he better not,” Shadow replied, his red eyes flaring a bit.

                                                *                      *                      *

            “Whose turn is it to wake Rowen?” Ryo asked the Ronin Warriors sitting around the dining table.

            “Whose turn is it to wake Kaira?” Sayli asked her C-Ronins, also sitting around the dining table.

            All of the Ronin Warriors’ fingers pointed to Kento, wolfing down bacon and toast.  Kento looked up in surprise, then nodded.  The C-Ronins pointed to Sama, who looked like he was either going to enjoy it or run like hell. The two got up and went upstairs.  Everyone at the table quieted, waiting to hear what kind of method Kento and Sama was going to use.  A few minutes later there was a crash, thumping and silence.  Kento came down with a big smile on his face.  Rowen followed, holding his left shoulder.

            “Where’s Kaira?” Rowen asked.

            He was rewarded with a battle cry then Sama came dashing down stairs, running like hell was after him.

            “SAMA DATE, YOU ARE THE WORLD’S BIGGEST BAKA!” Kaira yelled from the top of the stairs; she noticed all the Ronins gathered at the table, “go ahead and eat.  I’ll be along shortly.  By the way, where’s Kayura and the warlords?”

            “They went to JewelLake to find some information,” Mia spoke up.

            “Oh thanks.  And Sama?  You’re one dead C-Ronin,” Kaira said sweetly before heading back up stairs.

            Sage laughed out loud as he saw Sama grow red in the face.  His laughter stopped a few minutes later as he saw Kaira come down the stairs, dressed in a karate outfit with her black belt tied tight.

            “Don’t mind me, eat,” Kaira said, grinning mischievously.

            She walked into the dining room and deliberately grabbed Sama by the scruff of his shirt.

            “Hey!  Kaira!  I was just only assigned to get you up!  No fair!  Let me go!” Sama said, looking at her with seriousness.

            Kaira made no answer just dragged him outside the door.  When the door slammed shut, Cye looked at the C-Ronins with surprise.  They just continued on eating, not even curious about the situation.

            “Um, guys?  Aren’t you going to stop Kaira?” Ryo asked a little miffed.

            “Nah, we learned that if we interfered with Kaira in her anger, then we would be mashed into tiny bits by now,” Hiro answered, stuffing another egg in his already full mouth.

            The Ronins and Mia winced as a punch could be heard followed by a cry of pain.  Another followed with Sama crying out.  A few minutes after crying of pain, Kaira came back into dusting her hands.

            “Job done,” she declared and plopped herself in an empty seat.

            The Ronins looked at her as if she had turned into a vampire and said ‘ _I will kill you now._ ’

                                                *                      *                      *

            The morning was quiet, but by afternoon, tension had begun to build.  Mia had taken the girls (Kareyn, Kaira, and Sayli) food shopping, the guys were alone in the house.  Kayura and the warlords did not return yet.

            “You know what?  One of the worst things about an enemy attacking is the waiting part,” Kento complained, kicking Ryo’s soccer ball to Sama, who trapped it.

            “Yeah, it kinda sucks,” Sama said, passing it to Rowen.

            “What’s going on between you and Kaira?” Ryo asked, receiving the soccer ball Rowen kicked to him.

            “Well, um, ah…” Sama started, unsure of what to say.

            “Sama likes Kaira!  Sama likes Kaira,” Hiro shouted out, throwing a football at Shino.

            “Hiro!  Traitor!” Sama said, glaring at the now hysterical C-Ronin of Hardrock who was laughing all over the place.

            “It’s true?” Rowen asked, not believing what he heard.

            “Um, yeah.  It’s true, I have a crush on her,” Sama admitted, glancing at the ground.

            “One question, why do you then tease and annoy her?” Kento asked.

            “Dunno, just don’t want to show my feeling I guess.  Can we get back to the game?   Or is this ‘Ask Sama Date All the Questions You Want Game’?” Sama said irritably.

Ryo shrugged and kicked the ball to him.

                                                *                      *                      *

Time: Night-around 7:30 PM

            Ryo was getting suspicious, a whole day has passed, and no attacks by the dark-warlords.  He had an inkling that they were going to attack in the night, but wasn’t too sure about it.  Cye had retired to bed early, since he was still recovering from the wound Blackhawk gave him.

            “Kento you animal, eat normally,” Kareyn jeered at her cousin, watching Kento wolf down a mouthful of mashed potatoes, followed by some pieces of chicken.

            “Kento, eat normally or else I’ll have to tell Cye not to cook for you,” Ryo warned, a little sick and embarrassed at the way Kento was eating in front of guests.

“There’s always Shino to cook,” Kento replied.

            “Ah, no thanks.  I’ve decided to follow Cye’s example and not cook for you or Hiro,” Shino said, putting a polite mouthful of string bean in his mouth and chewing it.

            “Anyone seen the warlords?” Mia asked.

            “Now that you mention it, no,” Sage said, looking around as if the warlords and Kayura would appear in a flash.

            White Blaze suddenly stood on all four paws by the table, his mouth curled back and growled at the back door.

            “What’s the matter White Blaze?” Ryo asked, looking at the pitch-blackness outside from the door window.

            Suddenly there was a light blue light followed by a crash coming from upstairs.

            “Dad!” Shino cried abandoning his dinner and dashing up stairs.  Kento was hot on his tail.

            Suddenly the back door White Blaze was glaring at came down with a crash and nether soldiers mixed with shadow soldiers came pouring in.  Ryo quickly summoned up his sub-armor and immediately kicked one where the sun doesn’t shine.  ‘ _Ow, now that’s gotta hurt,_ ’ he thought as behind him, White Blaze pounced on one.

            “Take this outside!” Sayli yelled, running though the door.

            She stopped dead in her tracks.  There were hundreds of soldiers waiting outside.  ‘ _Shit!  It’s an ambush!_ ’ she thought.

            “Wildfire!  Conjunction!” she cried out, and felt the familiar armor-up process.

            Putting her hands at horizontal position, she felt flames lick and dance around her.  They touched her skin and hardened into the arms part of her armor.  She spun around quickly, and created a tornado of flames.  Stopping quickly, the flames extinguished and she was in her complete armor, her twin katanas sheathed in a “x” on her back.  Pulling them out she slashed four shadow soldiers at once, decapitating their heads.

            “Who want’s some more?  Huh?  I’m ready!” she yelled out as she saw the others form their armor and prepared to do battle.

                                                *                      *                      *

            Cye could hear the conversations of his fellow Ronins as he laid in bed, thinking.  His abdomen area still hurt, but Kareyn’s healing powers did a good job.  He was thankful for that.  Suddenly he heard something.  ‘ _Danger,_ ’ his conscious told him.  He sat up on bed, and saw that his room’s window was open and a slight breeze was stirring the fish print curtains.  ‘ _Wait, the window wasn’t open before,_ ’ he thought, grabbing his kanji ball and summoning his sub-armor.  The cool metal replaced his pajamas and he stood beside his bed, ready.

            “So, Torrent, are you ready to die?” a sinister voice said from the shadows, making Cye turn around in surprise.

            He saw two glowing red-pink eyes.

            “Blackhawk,” Cye sneered, “you bloody bastard.  It is you who will die.”

            “Ohh, scary words coming from the pacifist,” Blackhawk said coming out of the shadows.

            Cye could see that Blackhawk received a new armor with more weapons on it.

            “Armor of Torrent!  Dao Shin!” Cye yelled, forming the watery armor.

            The usual shock of the armor forming from him was too much, since he had the pain of the wound.  He fell to his knees, unable to continue though the process.

            “Weak, pathetic fool!  You know that you are too hurt to continue,” Blackhawk said grinning evilly as he kicked Cye in the stomach, making him cry out in pain as he was kicked into a wall.

            Cye curled up into a ball, the pain unbearable.  He cried out again as Blackhawk kicked him in the back, and head.

            “Why don’t I just end it for you,” Blackhawk said and unsheathed his new weapon, a giant saber, and pointed it at Cye’s exposed throat.

            “You know, you can hurt someone with that,” a voice said from the doorway.

            Cye focused his bleary-sweat stained eyes on the voice and saw Shino and Kento, standing at the doorway; both dressed in their sub-armors.

            “One, more step and he goes,” Blackhawk said, digging the sharp tip of the saber into Cye’s throat, drawing a little blood.

            Cye’s hand groped for the yari that had formed first when he was in the middle of completing the armoring-up process.  He found it and held it behind him, where Blackhawk could not see it, ready.

            “Yo, ugly!  Down here,” Cye said, and grinned as Blackhawk looked at him.

            He thrusted the yari straight at his neck and the two ends caught on and clamped on to Blackhawk, choking him.  Blackhawk dropped the saber and clutched his neck, trying to pry off the weapon that was killing him slowly.

            “Now!” Cye yelled, his strength leaving him.

            Shino’s arms glowed a light blue color and he faced them towards Blackhawk.  A horizontal column of water and ice headed straight towards Blackhawk, hitting him dead on and sending him through the wall of the room and back outside to where the others battled soldiers.  Blackhawk landed on the soft grass.

            “Hah!  Hah!  You haven’t won yet!” Blackhawk yelled back up to the three Ronins.

            He noticed a shiny object coming straight towards him.  ‘ _Oh, just my saber.  Goodbye world,_ ’ Blackhawk thought, as the saber plunged into his heart.  He saw nothing and felt nothing.

                                                *                      *                      *

            Shino turned away at the bloody sight of the now dead warlord Blackhawk.  The saber had followed Blackhawk on the way down.  ‘ _Thank you to whoever did that,_ ’ he silently prayed to the gods.

            “Cye you alright?” Kento asked, looking over the bruised, bloodied, but otherwise awake Cye.

            “Yeah, just fine Kento,” Cye replied, grabbing on to Kento’s strong arms for support as he stood up.

            “How did you get your yari out, but not your full armor?” Shino asked.

            “The pain interrupted the transformation.  Let me see if I can do it now,” Cye said, letting go of Kento and held out his orb.

            “Armor of Torrent!  Dao Shin!” Cye yelled, gritting his teeth.

            The pain was more intense, but he tried to put it in the back of his mind.  ‘ _My friends need help!  I need to transform!_ ’ Cye told himself as the shock intensified.  Suddenly it was all over.  Cye opened his eyes and saw that he was in the Torrent armor.

            “Man, you sure you’re okay?  I mean, you looked like hell during the transformation,” Kento said worriedly.

            “I’m okay, let’s go,” Cye said, and jumped out of the hole Blackhawk made, and on to the backyard grass, his yari ready.

            He looked up and saw Shino summoning his armor in mid air.  Kento had already donned his armor and was wading into battle.

            “Cye!  You shouldn’t be out here!” Kareyn called out.

            Cye looked around and saw Kareyn next to a big tree, slashing away at three shadow soldiers.

            “I’m fine, just get rid of these guys,” Cye said, and ducked as a sword sliced through the air.

            He slashed at a shadow soldier, and used the clamping mechanism on his yari to grab one by the neck.  Picking the helpless soldier up, he spun around in a circle, knocking down both shadow and nether soldiers.  Releasing the grip he had on the soldier, he jumped clear of the circle.

            “Super Wave Smasher!” Cye yelled and a jet of water-energy burst from the end of his yari and on to the remaining nether/shadow soldiers.

            The shadows screamed a high pitch scream as the energy-water burst through them, obliterating them.  Cye winced as the scream reached his ears, then they suddenly stopped.  Cye let the water-energy disperse, and looked around to see what was going on.  He didn’t like the sight that greeted him.  More nether and shadow soldiers were appearing though different portals.

                                                *                      *                      *

            “Ryo!  We can’t hold out much longer!  There’s too many of them!” Rowen shouted, floating in the air and picking off soldiers with his golden energy arrows.

            “I know!  FLARE UP NOW!” Ryo yelled, putting his twin katanas together and sending a wave of fire-energy at some soldiers.

            ‘ _Can’t use Inferno, because then it would leave my friends helpless, plus Cye is still recovering,_ ’ Ryo thought.  There was a crash and Ryo saw a dark figure burst from the wall of Cye’s room and fly through the air, an ice-water column pushing it out.  ‘ _Gotta be Blackhawk,_ ’ Ryo thought as he continued to watch the scene, rolling over to his right, just in time from being sliced in half.

            “Wildfire, I have been waiting a long time,” a voice said from behind him.

            Ryo turned around and saw a person dressed in an armor that was an exact duplicate of his, but black and red, instead of white and red.

            “Blackfire, so glad to see you,” Ryo said sarcastically, holding his katanas ready.

            He noticed that the shadow and nether soldiers formed a circle around them.  Blackfire removed his faceplate and Ryo stared into a face that was his own, but tainted with scars and glowing light blue eyes.

            “Ryo?  Need some help?” Rowen called from above him.

            “No, this is a battle between me and him,” Ryo called back not moving his gaze away from his evil clone.

            “Prepare…to…DIE!” Blackfire screamed and slashed his evil version of the Wildfire katanas at Ryo.

            Ryo blocked his face only centimeters away from his clone’s, the swords crossed in an “x”.

            “This will be the battle, in which, Wildfire, you will meet your end!” Blackfire said, grinning evilly at his counterpart.

            Both stared at each other with hatred and malice.

                                                *                      *                      *

##  _Chapter 4_

 

            Both stared at each other with hatred and malice.

            “Ryo!” Mia shouted, making Ryo glance at Mia, who was held captive in the arms of two nether soldiers.

            At that moment, Blackfire stuck, dealing a gash across Ryo’s left cheek.  Ryo felt pain flare up from the wound, and tasted some blood as it dripped down his face.  Ryo struck back, slicing at Blackfire, dealing him a gash across his forehead.

            “You fight well Wildfire,” Blackfire sneered as both warriors stepped a few feet away from each other, panting heavily, “but it won’t be good enough, because I know every weakness in you.  Where you are the most vulnerable, and how to strike at that spot.”

            “Die scum,” Ryo spat and charged at Blackfire, swing his twin katanas.

            They clashed, sending sparks and bits of metal.  Ryo slashed Blackfire across the chest area, and Blackfire saw the error he made.  Using it to his advantage, he kicked Ryo full force in the stomach, sending him back into a tree.  Ryo cried out as he slammed into the tree, making a big dent mark _.  ‘Man, my clone is a lot stronger and more vicious,_ ’ he thought as he tried to clear away the stars that were threatening to send him into the oblivion of darkness.  He looked up with sweat-stained eyes and saw Blackfire towering above him, ready to strike the final blow.

            “Now, my clone, you will die,” Blackfire said, and put his twin katanas ends together, “Flare Up Now!”

            Ryo saw the familiar movements he used to do when he was performing his sure-kill, but instead they were coming towards him.  He closed his eyes, not wanting to see his end.

            “MAGMA SWIPE!” Sayli’s voice cried out, and Ryo opened his eyes to see his future daughter standing in front of him, her katanas forming the Conjunction sure-kill.

            Sayli’s sure-kill met up with Blackfire’s and neither one relented to each other, pouring power into their respective sure-kills.  Ryo moved his arms and winced as pain shot through the right one.  ‘ _Must have been broken during the fight,_ ’ he thought as he gathered up his katanas.  He jumped up high above into the air, ignoring the pain, he powered up.

            “FLARE UP NOW!” Ryo yelled, his eyes narrowing as he felt incredible power surge to his jointed katanas.

            He swiped down towards Blackfire, and saw the fire-energy combine with Sayli’s, both gaining strength as it raced towards Blackfire.  Suddenly Blackfire jumped out of the way, and Ryo’s eyes widened as he realized that both sure-kills was going to hit Mia who was held fast by two nether soldiers.

            “NO MIA!” Ryo yelled, ending his sure-kill, but he saw it was too late.

            His and Sayli’s hit Mia dead on, making her scream out it pain.

            “MIA!!” Ryo yelled as he landed on the ground and rushed over to her side, not caring about Blackfire or his goons.

            “Mia,” he whispered as he held her once peach colored face, now blackened by fire.

            “Ryo?” Mia said weakly, her jade green eyes focusing on his tiger blue ones, “don’t worry about me.  I’ll always love you.”

            Mia’s eyes slowly closed and her head dropped.  Ryo held her against his him, tears falling down his face, and making the cuts he received earlier burn with pain, but he didn’t care.  The other Ronins and C-Ronins looked on, saddened.

            “Sayli, what’s happening to you?” Kaira asked, looking at the C-Ronin of Wildfire who was glowing brightly.

            “Oh my god, I’m fading.  I don’t exist anymore,” Sayli murmured in surprise; she lifted up her hands and saw that they were fading away.

            “Such a pity,” Blackfire said, hovering above the group, his katanas ready, “it’s war, casualties happen.”

            “I’ll try to heal Mia.  She is still breathing, so there might be a chance.  Go deal with asshole over there,” Kareyn said and placed a hand on her forehead, the other one on her stomach, “Sage, Sama, I’ll need your help.”

            Ryo slowly stood up, and he looked up at the hovering Blackfire.  Tears were streaming down his face, but he didn’t care.  He saw Blackfire recoil a bit and saw a fear in his evil clone’s eyes.  ‘ _I must look like hell just brought me back and gave me a new weapon,_ ’ Ryo thought as he unsheathed his twin katanas.

            “We end this now,” Ryo said, a rage of fire burning inside him.

            He launched himself at Blackfire and swung at him.  The two blades each had clashed and both warriors parted, landing a few feet away from each other.  Around them, the rest of the Ronins and C-Ronins were finishing off the remaining nether and shadow soldiers.  Ryo charged again and swung with a strength that was not his own.  He knocked away Blackfire’s katanas and pointed both of his katanas at Blackfire’s throat.

            “I should just kill you right now,” Ryo said, his eyes a wildness with flames dancing in them.

            “Well, then do it.  If you could kill me in cold blood then you are worthy to join Shadow Lord,” Blackfire taunted, panting heavily.

            Ryo hesitated, his swords wavering.  ‘ _Could I actually kill a person in cold blood.  No, not when they are helpless,_ ’ he thought.

            “You see, you are too weak,” Blackfire said, grinning at the sight of Ryo, who looked confused.

            Blackfire glanced up and saw a beam of yellow light coming towards him.

            “My master summons me.  I will tell him about your prowess,” Blackfire said, and he was sucked up under Ryo’s swords and the beam of light disappeared.

            Ryo glanced down on the ground as it started to rain.  _‘How can I let him do this to me?_ ’ he thought as he put his katanas back into the coverings in the back of his armor.  He closed his eyes for a few moments and his armor disappeared.  Opening his eyes, he noticed that the shadow and nether soldiers were gone, leaving the other Ronins/C-Ronins standing.

            “No, Sayli don’t go!  You’re like a sister to me!” Kaira said, bringing Ryo’s head around to see Kaira facing a fading Sayli.

            There was a sudden flash of gray, green and light green, coming from where the three healers were over Mia’s body.  Ryo noticed that the Ronins were gathered around the healers, while the C-Ronins was gathered around their leader.  Ryo saw that not all the Ronins and C-Ronins came out of the battle unscathed.  Cye was the worst, supported by Kento; he was bleeding from different places, the blood running down his sub-armor.  Rowen was clutching an arm, broken during the fight, and Kento was limping a little.  Ryo knew that he didn’t look better.  He had suffered a lot of bruises and cuts during the battle with Blackfire.  Looking over to the C-Ronins, he saw that Shino had a nasty gash over his left eye and Hiro looked like a truck ran over him a thousand times.  Ryo walked over to where his fellow Ronins were gathered, and peered over Kareyn’s shoulder.  He saw Mia’s blackened skin flake off, revealing new healed skin, and Mia slowly opened her eyes.

            “Was I dead?” Mia whispered, staring at the closed eyes of Sama, Kareyn and Sage, their bodies glowing in a green-gray color.

            “Mia!  You’re alive!” Ryo exclaimed, his injuries momentarily forgotten as he picked Mia up and hugged her.

            “Easy Ryo, she’s still weak,” Sage said, placing a hand on his forehead as Ryo turned Mia around and around.

            “Ryo stop,” Mia said, and Ryo put her down grinning as he stared deep into her eyes.

            “Yo, mom, dad?  Can I suggest we get inside?” Sayli said, popping her head up between them.

            “Yeah, sure.  Hey, thanks Sage, Kareyn, and Sama.  You guys alright?” Ryo asked, supporting Mia, as she walked on jelly legs.

            “You know us healers.  Be ready on the button,” Sage said, grinning tiredly.

            “Is there a possible chance that Shadow Lord will strike again tonight?” Shino asked, helping Kento carry Cye in to the mansion.

            “I’ll be on guard,” both Kaira and Kareyn said at the same time.

            “No.  Kareyn, we need you and Sage to be the healers,” Ryo said, “Sama, you and Kaira take tonight’s guard.  Rowen, you and Sayli are backups, since your injuries aren’t that severe.”

            “Yes, sir,” Rowen said, his New Yorker accent making the “sir” sound a bit British.

                                                *                      *                      *

            “Your report, Blackfire,” Shadow said, his metal claws made a clinking sound as they tapped impatiently for Blackfire’s report.

            “Ryo of the Wildfire has a large heart, so it is vulnerable to him.  He cares too much about others, that he will even die for them.  I say he is the easiest to conquer.  But in order to do that, we need to injure or capture one of his fellow Ronins, or C-Ronins.  That away he cannot summon the Armor of Inferno.  Cye of the Torrent was injured from the battle with Blackhawk, so he did not summon Inferno.  I find that this was a wise tactic,” Blackfire said, bowing his head.

            “Yes, it’s a pity that Blackhawk disobeyed my orders and went out in a solo mission of his own.  I had to kill him myself,” Shadow sighed, in mock contempt, “Kamagati!”

            “Yes my lord?” Kamagati said stepping out from the shadows.

            “Capture Strata, Halo and Elements.  They will be useful to our plans.  Beware of the C-Ronins.  I want you to use this,” Shadow said handing her a black velvet bag, “it is a sleeping powder, much like that traitorous Kayura used.  Go spread this over them in a fore night.  I want them to be unprepared.”

            “Yes, my lord.  I will obey,” Kamagati said and disappeared along with the bag.

            “Blackfire, you did well.  Now go and check on our prisoners in the Nether pool.  We shall wait and in time, they will crumble and fall,” Shadow said, and his laughter echoed throughout the Nether realm.

                                                *                      *                      *

            Kareyn shook her head as she took a quick glance at the living-family converted room at the Ronins/C-Ronins sitting together, discussing what ifs.  She and Sage had healed as much as their powers would allow them too, but all that were injured were still wearing some form of bandage.  Mia had a cold-compress on her forehead, and was leaning on Ryo, asleep.  Ryo had a scar down his cheek and one of his hands had cloth gauze over it.  Sage sported some white bandages over his face and arms, while Sayli looked the best; she only had one scratch on her.  Kareyn looked over to where the residence bookworm was.  Rowen’s left arm was in a sling and a cold-compress over his blue tuff of hair.  Next to him, sitting on the ground and furiously pressing buttons on the Nintendo system was Hiro and Kento; both having sprained their right ankles.  Cye was on his own couch, having to contend with the most injuries.

            “Hey, Kareyn?  You’re going to melt the pot with that kind of hot water,” Shino’s voice said from behind her, startling her.

            “Huh?  Oh, sorry.  I was just thinking,” Kareyn said, handing Shino the clean pot, in which he dried with a cloth.

            “Yeah.  That was the worst battle ever.  Facing two different types of soldiers and warlords that could knock the crap out of you,” Shino said, squeezing the excess water out of the cloth.

            Kareyn looked out into the backyard of Mia’s mansion, imagining what she would see there in the morning.  ‘ _Probably a wreaked backyard with debris and burn marks,_ ’ she thought as she dried her hands.

            “I better go and check on Sama and Kaira, make sure they didn’t kill each other yet,” Kareyn said and left the kitchen.

                                                *                      *                      *

#  **_Flash!_ **

            “Surrender to me Wildfire, and I will make you stronger!” a deep voice said as a black gloved hand reached out to Ryo, grabbing him and lifting him up.

            “No!  I won’t!” Ryo found himself saying as she struggled within the vise-like grasp of the hand.

            Ryo struggled, but he found himself short of breath, as the hand squeezed tighter.  His vision swam in blackness and he found himself plunging to the ground, barely conscious as the hand let go.

**_Flash!_ **

            Ryo woke up with a gasp.  He ran a couple of fingers though his sweat covered hair, breathing deeply as the last images of the nightmare washed away into the depths of his mind.  ‘ _Damn!  What the hell was that?_ ’ he though feverantly as he glanced at White Blaze, who surprisingly had not stirred when he woke up from his nightmare.  He looked up to the ceiling.  Kaira and Sama fought only once during the night, then each had taken up opposite ends of the roof, neither talking to each other.  Ryo grinned as he lay down onto his bed again.  ‘ _I just hope that we will be able to defeat these warlords,_ ’ he thought as he ran a finger down the scar that he had gotten during battle with Blackfire.  Sudden sleepiness swam over him and he let himself fall into the black oblivion.

                                                *                      *                      *

**_Flash!_ **

            ‘ _Where the hell am I?  And what is this century?_ ’ Rowen thought feverishly as he saw an ancient village with people dressed in peasant clothes tending to rice fields and farms.  He looked at himself, and saw that he was sort of transparent.  ‘ _Oh, not again.  I hate these dreams and stuff,_ ’ he thought.  There was a sound of childish laughter and Rowen looked up to see two boys, a little older than him, but looking a lot like him.  ‘ _Wait, is that Sanjuro and Tokoshino?_ ’ Rowen thought to himself as he watched the scene.

            “Come on Toko, you can do better than that!” Sanjuro said, stopping to catch his breath as he saw his twin brother running furiously.

            “Yeah, well, you’re the fastest one Sanjuro,” Tokoshino said stopping near his brother and coughed.

            “Hey, you alright?” Sanjuro asked, looking at his twin with concern.

            ‘ _Man they sure do have a strong bond,_ ’ Rowen thought as he continued to look at the scene.

**_Flash!_ **

            “Sanjuro, have you ever heard of Talpa and Shadow Lord?” an older Tokoshino said.

            ‘ _Oh, great!  I think I’m gonna get a cat scan after this dream,_ ’ Rowen thought as he saw that the dream had propelled him a few years ahead in the dream sequence.

            “You know that is forbidden even to mention it in our clan,” Sanjuro said, doing a few push-ups in preparation for the war.

            “Well, excuse me mister-I-just-got-the-coolest-armor.  I happen to adore him and look up to him as an idol,” Tokoshino said angrily.

            “Toko!  How can you say that!  We are at war with him.  He is our enemy!” Sanjuro exclaimed, shock by the words his brother threw at him.

            “You are at war; you and your pathetic little Samurai Troopers.  Imagine, defeating him with the elements of nature.  I’m leaving.  I am disgusted in you little brother,” Tokoshino said, looking at the younger twin with disgusted contempt.

            Sanjuro stared helplessly at his older twin as he walked out and slammed the sliding door shut.

**_Flash!_ **

            ‘ _That’s it!  Let me out of here!  I don’t want to face any more dreams!_ ’ Rowen thought as he experienced another flash of memory, ‘ _hey, where am I?_ ’

            “Arrow Shock Wave!” Sanjuro’s voice said, and a stream of energy headed towards Tokoshino, who was dressed in a different armor.

            “Cauldron of Darkness!” Raven yelled, sending his sure-kill towards Sanjuro’s.

            Sanjuro was blasted back into a rock as his sure-kill and Raven’s combined.  He collapsed on to the ground.

            “Sanjuro!  Summon Inferno!” a green clad armored person yelled from a tree.

            “Armor of Inferno!” Sanjuro yelled as four different colored orbs surrounded him.

            There was a flash of fire, and Sanjuro emerged in the sparkling white armor.

            “Rage of Inferno!” Sanjuro yelled and the sure-kill obliterated Nether soldiers and engulfed Raven.

            Sanjuro immediately reverted back to his Strata armor and rushed over to his wounded brother.

            “My brother…” Sanjuro whispered as he held Raven’s body, laid crumpled on the ground.

            Suddenly Raven’s eyes snapped open and he lifted an arm that held a wicked dagger and stabbed Sanjuro in the chest.  Sanjuro fell back with a cry, staring at the hilt of the dagger that was stick out of his chest and blood pouring from the wound.

            “Sanjuro!” he heard his best friend Hariel call out.

            He felt strong hands support him and he looked into the faces of his teammates.

            “Sanjuro, don’t worry, Watanabe will heal you,” Hariel said as he slowly pulled the dagger out of Sanjuro’s chest.

            “Hariel, don’t worry.  It is my time to leave this world.  I want you to wear the Armor of Inferno now.  Lead us to victory, and take good care of my son Akane,” Sanjuro whispered.

            His eyes slowly closed and he laid still.  The Samurai Troopers bowed their heads in recognition of a fallen comrade.

**_Flash!_ **

            Rowen bolted upright on his bed.  He shook his head a few times to clear away the remaining images of his dream.  ‘ _More like a crash course on ancient history,_ ’ he thought wiry to himself.  He glanced at the digital clock sitting beside his bed on a desk.  It read: 8:30 AM.  ‘ _Now this has got to be the worst wake up call ever!  It’s too early in the morning_ ,’ he thought as he tried to fall back asleep.  He closed his eyes for a few minutes, then reopened them again as he gave up on trying to fall back to sleep.  He laid on his bed, listening to the morning sounds in Mia’s mansion.  Someone was yelling their head off at Hiro to get out of the kitchen again.  ‘ _Must be Shino,_ ’ he thought as he gave a tight grin.  There was a sudden tiger growl and a person yelped.  ‘ _Gotta be Ryo getting a morning wake up call from White Blaze,_ ’ Rowen thought.  There was a sudden knock on his door.

            “Yo!  Sleepyhead wake up!” Kareyn’s voice said outside his bedroom door.

            “Yeah, whatever,” Rowen mumbled, as he got up and slipped on a dark blue colored robe.

            He moved his left arm and felt that it didn’t hurt.  It was completely healed.  He opened the door and found Kareyn fiddling with her cow clock.

            “So who’s the next victim of the infamous cow clock?” Rowen asked, grinning as she pressed a few buttons on the clock.

            “Cousin Kento,” Kareyn said, not looking up, “done.  Now this should scare him up.”

            “Alright, you go wake him up, I’ll get the squad ready,” Rowen said, placing a kiss on her cheek, then walking down stairs, “Hey where’s Sage?”

            “Don’t worry about the squad.  I’ll be fine.  I don’t think Sage’s waken up yet,” Kareyn called after him.

                                                *                      *                      *

**_Flash!_ **

            ‘ _It’s not real,_ ’ Sage told himself firmly as he continued to watch the scene unfold before his eyes.

            ‘ _Oh, but it is Halo.  Watch and see,_ ’ Kamagati’s voice told him.

            Sage closed his eyes, but still the scene appeared before his closed eyes, as if they were transparent.

            “Seiji!  Help us!” his younger sister Satsuki, cried his Japanese name.

            He watched as dynasty nether soldiers came pouring though portals, surrounding his home and dojo.

            “No!” Sage cried, as he tried to help his family.

            He punched one in the face, but his hand passed right though.  ‘ _No, this isn’t real!_ ’ Sage thought desperately as he saw his father sliced in half before his eyes.

            “Seiji-chan!  Where are you?” his older sister Yayoi said, tears streaming down her face.

            She was holding her younger sister protectively, Sage’s grandfather behind them, and ready to defend the children.

            ‘ _You see, they suffer like this because it is your fault.  You did not get rid of Talpa’s goons, and they have come back for revenge,_ ’ Kamagati’s voice said in his head.

            “No, this is not real.  Talpa is dead, and the warlords would not have let this happen,” Sage yelled to Kamagati, hoping she could hear him, wherever she was.

            ‘ _Well, I guess the warlords are slightly off target,_ ’ Kamagati replied, and showed him another scene.

            Lady Kayura and the warlords were held in chains above the nether spirit pool.

            “Sage?” a faraway voice said, and Sage could faintly make out the image of Ryo.

            “Ryo!  Help me get out of here!” Sage yelled, hoping Ryo could hear him.

            “Hey Sage, wake up man!” Kento’s faint face and voice said.

            “No!  Kamagati, you will pay for this,” Sage said.

                                                *                      *                      *

_Chapter 5_

 

            “Where is Sage?” was the first question at the table during brunch.

            ‘ _It isn’t like Sage to sleep this long,_ ’ Ryo thought, looking around suspiciously, as if some shadow soldier would pop out.  Suddenly Rowen clutched his head in pain.

            “Rowen!  What’s wrong?” Kareyn asked, looking at him.

            Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw his kanji flaring brightly on his forehead.

            “Something’s wrong…with…Sage,” Rowen managed to get out though clenched teeth.

            Ryo and Kento immediately dashed up stairs.

                                                *                      *                      *

            Ryo ran up stairs and when he got to Sage’s door, he stopped, making Kento crash into him from behind.

            “Kamagati is here,” Ryo said, feeling the evil presence engulfing the rooms.

            “Sayli!  Shino!  Get Sama and Kaira up.  They might fall under Kamagati’s influence,” Ryo yelled back down stairs.

            There was a chorus of okays and Ryo opened the door to Sage’s room, blocking his mind from Kamagati’s influence.  He stepped into Sage’s room and was greeted by a gust of wind, blowing things everywhere.

            “Ryo!  Watch it man!” Kento yelled, shielding his eyes from debris.

            Ryo rushed to Sage’s bed and found him laying there unmoving.  Sweat was beading down his head, and he looked like he was in a lot of pain.

            “Sage! “ Ryo shouted, hoping Sage could hear him.

            “Hey Sage, wake up man!” Kento yelled.

            “Fools!  You cannot wake Halo up.  He is already under my control!” Kamagati’s voice filled the room.

            She suddenly appeared, making Ryo and Kento turn around in surprise.  Ryo did a double take, and blinked.  Kamagati looked a lot like the mirror image of Kayura, but older, and more age wrinkles on her face.

            “Now, you will suffer and fall under my command,” Kamagati said, laughing as the winds picked up speed.

            She pointed two fingers at them and blue lightning lanced off the them, catching both Kento and Ryo in the chest, sending them through the room wall and out into the front yard.

            “Wildfire!” Ryo yelled as he transformed into his sub-armor.

            “Hardrock!” Kento yelled.

            Ryo glanced up as he landed.  Kamagati stood on the edge of the broken wall, then jumped out into mid air.

            “Star Swords Scream!  Hear the cry of the heavens!” Kamagati yelled, and Ryo saw the familiar purple lightning converge on him and Kento.

            Ryo felt pain enter throughout his body, and screamed.  He was thrown up into the air, then dropped to the ground.  He laid on the ground, stunned from the sure-kill.

            “Ryo, we’ve got to armor up,” Kento said, struggling to move his unwilling arms and legs.

            “Vengeance of Fears!” Kamagati pointed the Starlight Swords at Ryo and Kento, and two red tendrils grabbed on to them, sending electricity at them.

            “Get away from my father!” Sayli yelled, her Wildfire swords blazing, as she struck at Kamagati.

            “And the first of the C-Ronins gets caught in the web.  Oh and it’s their leader,” Kamagati said sweetly as another red tendril wrapped onto Sayli throat.

            Sayli choked as she was thrown to the ground, near the two other Ronins.  She screamed in pain as electricity ran though her and suddenly, her eyes became a shining white color.  Kamagati grinned, savoring the pain that the three were experiencing.

            “Let my friends go,” a voice said behind her and she spun around to face Sama, dressed in the Halo-Conjunction armor.

‘ _Shit!  I forgot about the other Halo,_ ’ Kamagati thought as she felt furious anger boil in her.  She hated Halo because he was just about practically the only one that could ever defeat her.

“Well, you seem to be a sight for sore eyes,” Kamagati commented as she looked him over.

“I may not have as much strength as before, but I can still defeat you,” Sama said, holding his no-daichi in a classic en guarde position.

“I’ll see about that,” Kamagati said, as she put the Starlight Swords away and took out a similar no-daichi to the Halo armor; she saw the rest of the Ronins and C-Ronins assembled behind Sama, “Shadow soldiers!  I call upon you to help me!  Attack and destroy!”

Sama charged though the shadow soldiers, intent on taking out Kamagati for hurting his dad and his friends.  ‘ _She knows that I am the only one of the group that could defeat her, so I’ve got to keep my guard up,_ ’ Sama thought as he brought his no-daichi up to slash at her.

“You fight foolishly, but bravely.  I commend you,” Kamagati said as she crossed swords with Sama, “come to my side, and we both will fight for what is right.”

‘ _She’s actually proposing to me?  Man, that is one crazy warlord, or is it warlordess.  Ah hell, just give it up and fight,_ ’ Sama thought, as he prepared his sure-kill.

“You actually believe I would desert my friends?  Gotta think again missy.  Lightning Slash!” Sama yelled, as he jumped high in the air and launched himself at Kamagati.

“You fool!  Diablo Strike!” Kamagati yelled as she launched herself at Sama.

Both collided in mid-air, sending sparks of lightning and black-lightning everywhere.  The friction of the two sent them blasting apart.

“Sama!” Kaira yelled, as she saw him not moving, under the tree.

Using her armor’s bubble she landed next to him.

“Sama!  You alright?” Kaira asked, placing her hand over his.

“For once, you actually care,” Sama said through closed eyes, and winced as pain shot though.

“You stay there, I’ll take care of that bitch,” Kaira said, and stood up in front of Sama, facing the approaching Kamagati.

“Kaira, watch out!  She’s got one hell of a punch in her sword!” Rowen cautioned, blocking a few shadow soldiers’ staffs and sabers, while launching a couple of arrows into their chests.

‘ _I know, just gotta watch where she points that thing,_ ’ Kaira said silently to herself.  She reached a hand to the pack in the back of her armor and a golden energy arrow launched into her hand.

Pulling back the string and arrow she yelled, “GALE FORCE!!”

The golden arrow sailed towards Kamagati and was sure to hit, when she caught it, and tossed it away.

“Pity, such a shame for a nice arrow.  DIABLO STRIKE!!” Kamagati yelled as she sent a stream of black lightning at Kaira.

Kaira looked dumbfounded.  ‘ _How did she catch my arrow?_ ’ she wondered, then she noticed the black-lightning coming towards her and instinctively reacted by bringing up her bow and it took the lightning, absorbing it.

“It looks like you attack didn’t work,” Kaira said, grinning.

“It wasn’t meant for that,” Kamagati said, and twitched a finger.

The Strata bow broke in half.  ‘ _What?  But, how?_ ’ Kaira thought as she looked at the two pieces laying in her hands, which were once the remnant of the C-Ronin Strata bow.  ‘ _Lady Kayura said that no force could break these mystical weapons,_ ’ she thought.

“Now, this one is for you,” Kamagati said as she prepared to do her sure-kill again.

Kaira let the pieces of the bow drop and she took out two thick snake shaped swords.

“A warrior never comes unarmed,” Kaira said.

“Kaira, need help?” Kareyn said, running to her side.

“Nope, got what I need here,” Kaira said, her gaze hardening on Kamagati.

“What are you going to do with those, make me bleed?” Kamagati taunted.

“Kaira…watch out,” Sama weakly said.

“Precisely, I’m gonna make you _bleed_ ,” Kaira said angrily, and pressed a button on the handle of her swords.

They suddenly turned into multiple swords, like a fan-sword.

“Whoa, what the hell are those,” Kareyn commented, checking out her weapons.

“My back up,” Kaira replied and charged at Kamagati, who was standing still from surprised.

‘ _Shadow Lord, you never told me that the C-Ronin of Strata had those kind of weapons!_ ’ Kamagati mentally communicated with Shadow as she tried to block the savage slashes Kaira was giving her.  ‘ _I told you Kamagati, watch out for the C-Ronins.  They have hidden weapons, now come back, and strike tonight as planned.  You’ve done well,_ ’ Shadow said telepathically back to her.  A bright yellow beam of light shone on Kamagati and the soldiers and they disappeared.

“Run, away while you can crap-head!  You’ll never survive me again!” Kaira shouted at the yellow beam.

She pressed the same button and the swords retracted.  Giving them a twirl, she stuck them back into her leg holsters.

“Everyone alright?” Kareyn called out to the ones on the battlefield, taking over for Ryo.

“Depends on what you could count as alright,” Sage’s voice said, as he helped Ryo, Sayli and Kento up, looking a bit haggard himself in his pajamas.

“Oh, I think I broke a leg,” Sama moaned from the near by tree.

“You baka!  Just trying to butter me up right?  I know already that you liked me Sama Date,” Kaira said, glaring at Sama as she helped him up.

“Who spilled it?” Sama asked, looking at the boys of the group.

“Who cares,” Kaira said and kissed him full on the lips.

“Go Kaira!” Hiro yelled.

Rowen and Sage looked at each other in surprise, both faces mirroring _, ‘hey, who knew?_ ’

Suddenly there was a flash of purple light and Lady Kayura appeared, looking the worst for wear.

“Lady Kayura!” Kareyn exclaimed, surprised at how she looked.

“I escaped from Shadow Lord.  He’s got the other three future-warlords.  It’s not good, guys.  Shadow Lord is planning a major assault,” Kayura said, then the fainted from exhaustion.

                                    *                      *                      *

“My that was fun,” Kamagati said as she sharpened her Diablo swords against a stone grinder.

“I am proud of you,” Raven said, stroking her hair.

“Hmm, you should be, after all, who’s there for you when you are at battle?” Kamagati said, smiling as she moved her swords across the grinder, sending sparks in the air.

“Shadow Lord said to let Lady Kayura go.  She does not know of any plans, but they will be on guard tonight, so you will have no trouble striking,” Raven replied, turning her around from her work.

“Yes, after I get Halo, Strata and Elements then I will go after my traitorous sister,” Kamagati said with deep fierceness.

“But there is still time.  Come let us explore what is in this realm,” Raven said, taking her hands and guiding her out of the small room.

                                    *                      *                      *

“How is Lady Kayura?” Mia asked Kareyn as she walked down stairs and into the living room.

“She’s resting.  I healed her to the max.  She should be fine in a couple of hours,” Kareyn replied, plopping herself next to Rowen.

Kareyn noticed that Kento, Sage, Ryo and Sayli all looked sullen and sad.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“She deliberately delved into our minds and ripped our worst fears out!” Ryo said suddenly angry.

“Hey, chill Ryo,” Cye spoke up.

Ryo cast a scathing glance at him, “You think I should chill?  Huh, you think Cye, I should just forget about it?  I had to see my father get killed again by a lion!  You think I should just forget what she did?”

“I’m not implying…” Cye began.

“Well, it seems like your implying.  I’m going out for fresh air,” Ryo said, and walked out of the house.

“That went well,” Sage said, and Mia glanced worriedly at the door Ryo left though.

                                    *                      *                      *

‘ _I can’t believe she did that!_ ’ Ryo thought angrily as he kicked a small stone down the sidewalk path.

“Kamagati!  I swear, you will pay for this!” Ryo yelled into the sky.

There was a tiger roar and Ryo turned around to see White Blaze running after him.

“Hey, Blaze.  Did Mia send you?” Ryo asked the tiger as it stopped in front of him.

White Blaze gave a tiger’s equivalent of a nod, and rubbed against Ryo’s leg.

“Yeah, I shouldn’t have overreacted back there, but I just hate it when I have to re-live something I don’t want to re-live.  You getting my drift White Blaze?” Ryo asked, hoping that he didn’t confused the tiger.

White Blaze just looked at him, and seemed to be listening.

“Come on, let’s go, before the guys think I’ve been attacked by a dark-warlord or shadow soldiers,” Ryo said and started walking back.

                                    *                      *                      *

“Oh, I’m so hungry!  When is dinner gonna be ready?” Kento whined for the sixth time, and his stomach suddenly growled in agreement.

“Yeah, me too,” Hiro voiced his agreement.

“You guys, if you don’t shut your mouth up none of you will get any food!” Shino said, popping his head from the kitchen door then back in.

Sage sighed looking at the two human garbage disposals with weariness.  At that moment, Rowen decided to move his chess pieces in a brilliant strategy.

“Check mate,” Rowen declared, grinning at Sage, who turned his attention back to the game.

“Hey, no fair,” Sage exclaimed, studying the pieces for any escape routes for his king.

“My turn,” Kaira said, and shooed Sage away from his seat, taking it for her own.

“Alright, bet two dollars that Kaira will win against Rowen,” Sama said to Kento.

“Your on,” Kento said, pulling two bucks from his wallet.

‘ _Good they’re preoccupied, time for me to make my move,_ ’ Kamagati thought as she saw the Ronins/C-Ronins gathered around to see the match.  She moved silently through the back door, as if she was invisible.  ‘ _I’ve just gotta love my armor, gives me power to become invisible and move through anything!_ ’ she thought as she prepared to blow some of the sleeping powder onto Shino, who was turning off the stove.  ‘ _Time to say nighty night C-Torrent!_ ’ Kamagati thought as she put some powder in her palm and blew it in his direction.  She grinned evilly as Shino dropped to the ground, out cold.

                                    *                      *                      *

“SHINO!  Where is the dinner!  I’m about to eat all the furniture up!” Hiro complained.

There was no answer.

“Shino?!” Hiro asked again.

There was still no answer.

“Something’s wrong,” Sama and Sage said at the same time, looking at the kitchen door.

All the Ronins/C-Ronins looked up from the game, all their eyes registered was cautiousness.

“Kamagati is here,” Sage said, standing up, his eyes taking in everything.

“Very perceptive Halo, too bad you won’t be able to stop me,” Kamagati’s voice filled the air, making hairs stand up on the back of Sage’s neck.

Sage looked in the living room carefully.  He looked for any traces of evil.  Suddenly his eyes focused on one of the support beams near the kitchen door.

“She’s over there,” Sama said, pointing to where Sage was looking; he had also spotted where the Warlord of Fears was.

“Good eyes.  Now say good night,” Kamagati said, and Sage saw some kind of power float towards them.

“Sleeping powder, don’t breathe it in!” Ryo exclaimed.

Sage tried not to breathe, but suddenly his head felt light, and dizziness swam all over.  He collapsed on the ground and the last thing he saw before darkness came over was Kamagati stand above him, laughing her heart out.

                                    *                      *                      *

Ryo awoke to a wet tongue licking his face.

“Alright, okay White Blaze I’m awake!” Ryo said, and shooed the tiger off of him.

He looked around and saw that the others were starting to come back to the land of consciousness.

“Everyone alright?” Ryo asked.

“I feel like hell,” Kaira commented, looking around, “hey?  Where’s my future parents and Sage?”

“Damn!  Kamagati must have taken them while where sleeping our heads off,” Kento said.

“Yeah, and while you guys were off in la-la land, Shino and me were dusting off the leftovers,” Cye said, coming from the front door, dressed in his armor.

“How did you get up so quick?” Sayli asked.

“Powder dissolves quickly in water,” Shino said, looking at his bloody trident with disgust.

“We’ve got to get to the Nether Realm and find them.  Hope it isn’t too late,” Ryo said, helping Mia get to her feet.

“I’ll try to get a portal open, but it will be hard, since Shadow Lord’s presence has made the barrier stronger,” Kayura said, coming down stairs.

                                    *                      *                      *

“Here are the ones you requested, my lord,” Kamagati said, and three guards unceremonsly dumped Rowen, Sage and Kareyn on to the ground in front of Shadow.

“Good, Kamagati.  You’ve done well.  Your reward is an upgrade of new weapons of mass destruction,” Shadow Lord said and waved her away.

Shadow Lord looked at his three prisoners, and grinned.

“You won’t get away with this!” Kareyn yelled, and one of the guards hit her in the stomach, making her double over in pain.

“You three are the ones that will bring me ultimate victory!” Shadow Lord said and laughed.

Rowen looked over to Raven, who glared at him under his faceplate.  ‘ _We’ve gotta get out of here,_ ’ Rowen thought.

                                    *                      *                      *

_Chapter 6_

           

            Sama didn't like the way Kayura was acting.  She wasn't usually this quiet.  Plus the Ancient's staff wasn't around.  His attention reverted to Kento yelling about.

"What’s sitting around here gonna do?  Huh?  What are we sitting here for?  I say let's go and rescue them!" Kento exclaimed, glancing sharply at his teammates and C-Ronins.

            "We can't go barging in there Kento.  Last time, Rowen and I did that, we almost got ourselves killed in the process.  We've got to have a plan," Ryo said looking tired.

            "Well, mister-leader what do you suggest we do?" Kento said angrily as he sat on one of Mia's couches, pouting.

            Next to him was Hiro who was stuffing his face full of sandwiches, Mia made.  Kento snatched one out of Hiro's hands and placed it back on the tray in the middle of the table.

            "Hey!  Give it back!" Hiro exclaimed, his voice slightly muffled from the mouthful of sandwiches.

            "No one eats until we figure out a plan," Kento said, and a growl emitted from his stomach in protest, "well, until Ryo answers my question."

            "Alright, we need to first figure out what we're up against.  Kayura?  You were there," Ryo said, glancing at the last of the ancient's clan, sitting on the couch, looking very quiet.

            "Oh, um…It seems as if Shadow Lord can summon many shadow or nether soldiers.  Almost like an endless supply of them.  When I was there, he tried to convert the warlords and I to his side, infusing us with nether spirits and possessing us," Kayura said, shuddering a bit.

            "Are you strong enough to make a portal to the nether world?" Kaira asked, looking just about eager to rescue her future parents.

"Yes, I think I am," Kayura replied, closing her eyes for a brief second before opening them again.

Her eyes were completely black orbs and irises.  Sama and the others gasped in disbelief.

"You're one of them…" Sayli started then trailed off, taking her kanji ball out and summoning her sub-armor.

"Yes, and boy do I feel a lot better," Kayura said, her voice deeper than normal.

The Ronins and C-Ronins quickly backed away from her, and surrounded her in their sub-armors.

"Aw, is that the best you can do?" Kayura said, and suddenly her armor of Ogre appeared on her, "Quake With Fear!"

The scythe-chain dug deep underground and suddenly in Mia's living room, hundreds of red energy tendrils emerged from the floor, and wrapped around their throats, bodies, and pinned them tight to the walls.

"You won't get away with this Kayura!" Ryo yelled, trying to breathe from the constricting grasp.

White Blaze growled, and suddenly a white light shone on him and he transformed into Black Blaze.  Black Blaze roared and growled, straining against the red bonds that had turned into chains.  They broke free and Black Blaze launched himself at Kayura, his yellow-black eyes blazing with an internal fire as he leaped.

"Down kitty," Kayura said, and with her free hand she summoned a black portal and Black Blaze jumped through it.

"What did you do with Black Blaze!" Sayli shouted, trying to move her arms, which were stuck to her sides.

"Oh, he should be in one of Talpa's nether pool, enjoying himself.  If he could withstand the pain," Kayura laughed gleefully, "shadow soldiers!  You may transport them now."

Ryo looked around him as shadow soldiers came pouring out from various black portals in the living room.  Two latched on to him, holding his arms and shoulders in a vise-like grip.  The chains that were holding him in place vanished, and Ryo tried to move his body and arms, but they were held tight.  He felt a slight pressure then a prick of a needle entering him.  His vision swam, and he collapsed into blackness.  The last thing he saw before he passed out was Kayura's black eyes staring straight into his tiger blue ones.

                                    *                      *                      *

"Shadow Lord!  What is the meaning of this!" Kamagati exclaimed, looking at the remaining Ronins/C-Ronins sprawled out in the throne room.

In the middle of them was a smiling Kayura.

"I ordered your sister to capture the remainder stragglers," Shadow said, his voice a neutral tone.

He waved a hand, and the unconscious bodies of the Ronins and C-Ronins disappeared.

"I thought I was to get the pleasure of killing my sister.  But since she did something that pleases you milord, I guess I won't get that chance," Kamagati said glaring at Kayura.

"I time you will, but I had one of the most powerful nether spirit break her will and possess her.  She is still the hated enemy, but now different.  In time, though, if you prove yourself worthy, you may kill her," Shadow said, and snapped a finger and Kayura disappeared to another place in the Nether Realm.

"Thank you milord.  I am sorry to cause you any trouble," Kamagati said and disappeared into the shadows of the Nether Realm.  _'Yeah, like I'm sorry for any trouble.  Just wait Kayura, you will die very soon,_ ' she thought.

                                    *                      *                      *

It was fuzzy, hazy and blurry, Rowen decided as his vision came back.  Some wind blew in an easterly direction, scruffing up his blue hair.  He blinked his eyes and slowly the blurriness became clear.  ' _Where_ _am I?_ ' Rowen wondered, looking around.  He was floating in a dark void; some stars dotted the area.  ' _Strata, this is what you always wanted.  Fly, let the winds guide you,_ ' a disembodied voice said from the blackness.

"What?  But I don't even have my armor on, and where are my friends?" Rowen yelled.

' _Let the winds guide you.  Your friends are safe.  Go on; fulfill your dreams_ ' the disembodied voice said again.  Rowen suddenly found himself in his Strata armor.  He felt a peaceful calm wash over him, and all his doubts washed away.

"Yes, I will fly," Rowen whispered, as he let his armor guide him through the stars.

                                    *                      *                      *

Sage looked around, his light purple eyes narrowed as he saw a tranquil lake with no sounds coming from the air or around him.  ' _What is this?  Where am I?_ ' he thought as he shifted his feet around to look.

"Kamagati!  You're powers won't work!" Sage yelled into the air that was a tinted bluish purple, "I can see though your deception!"

"Well, now Halo, I can see that you're going to need some convincing.  Let me do that for you," a voice laced with a hint of dark power said.

Sage spun around and saw future-Cale, dressed in his armor of Darkness, his no-daichi unsheathed and ready to cut through anything standing in its path.

"Cale!  I thought you would be on our side!" Sage said accusingly at the warlord.

"Shadow Lord convinced me to join a greater power," Cale said grinning behind his red-black helmet, "now, defend yourself, lest I have to cut you down where you stand."

Sage's eye's widened in surprise as Cale came at him with impossible speed.  Only his lightning reflexes were able to dodge the sword of Darkness.  He took out his armor orb and summoned his sub-armor.  Cale slashed at him again and Sage formed an 'x' with his arms to block the sword.

"You see, you don't really need that much convincing.  Just give into Shadow Lord and he'll make all your problems go away," Cale said, his face inches away from Sage's, his no-daichi pressing against Sage's arms.

Sage jumped high into the air and yelled, "Armor of Halo!  Dao Chi!"

Sage expected the usual transformation pain and intensity, but he wasn't ready.  The pain of his armor energizing and surrounding him was up about ten notches.  ' _What is this?  What is happening to my armor?_ ' Sage thought, his eyes squinted against the energy ripping through his body.  Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw a few nether spirits converging and floating within the cherry blossoms.  Suddenly the pain was gone and Sage saw cherry blossoms fall around him, but they were a darker red color, almost black.  As soon as the blossoms touched his skin, they hardened into the Halo armor.  Putting on his helmet, Sage was grateful that his lock of blonde hair was out of the way.  Pulling out his no-daichi from its sheath, he held it ready.

"Cale, you will pay for your treachery," Sage said, his lavender eyes crackled and blazed with the power of lightning and light.

"Ah, but Halo, such a pity.  Your armor is corrupted," Cale said, a twitched a finger in Sage's direction.

It was just a tingling feeling, then erupted into black lightning, as Sage saw that his Halo armor was turning darker by the moment.  He cried out in pain as the lightning played all over his skin and armor.  Dropping his long sword he fell to his knees.

"So, now Halo, how does it feel to be on the receiving end of it?" Cale said laughing gleefully.

"Cale, you son of a bitch," Sage said, then dropped to the ground, out cold.

Suddenly, Kamagati appeared out of the thin air, next to the unconscious armored Sage.

"Shadow Soldiers, take this one away to the spirit pool.  He needs some re-adjusting.  Cale," Kamagati purred as two shadow soldiers took Sage away, "you are a great asset to our cause."

Cale flinched as Kamagati raked one long sharp nail across the unarmored part of his chin, making a scar.

"Yes, my lady, but fear the waters you tread on, you may never survive it," Cale warned and teleported away.

"Hmm, Cale, your heart is dark, but you belong to me," Kamagati whispered and teleported to another part of the Nether Realm.

                                    *                      *                      *

   ' _Wait, something isn't right,_ ' Cye thought as he swam in the warm ocean currents, ' _I'm not supposed to be here, but yet I feel as if I need too._ '  He frowned against the water caressing his face, some part of him felt the need to escape this area and look for something important, but another part said that he should stay and enjoy what he always wanted.  He tried to stop his body from going with the current, but that just made him spin around uncontrollably against the waters.  Suddenly he found an opening in the whirlpool and swam towards it.

"The waters are calm out here, why is that?" Cye questioned to no one in particular.

He turned back to see the whirlpool that he had been swimming in was covered around with a purple-pinkish barrier.  ' _What's that?  Looked like some kind of prison I was stuck in,_ ' Cye thought as he looked at the barrier flash and crackle in the water.  He noticed that his vision was a tinted orange.

"What in bloody hell am I doing in my armor?" Cye asked, looking at the dark color of the Torrent armor.

Suddenly tendrils of black lightning crawled up from the interior of the armor, electrocuting Cye.

"Ah!  Nether spirits!" Cye gasped between the intense pain.

"Ah, poor, poor little Ronin.  You shouldn't have come out of the whirlpool," a deep and sinister voice said behind Cye.

"Blackhawk!  I thought you were dead," Cye said, clutching his head as pain shot up there.

"I was brought back to life by Lady Kayura.  She sent me one command, to destroy you," Blackhawk sneered as he lifted his scythe-spear ready to do battle.

Cye closed his eyes, ' _Armor of Torrent, let your pure waters join with my heart to cleanse these evil demons._ '  He cried out as the pain of the nether spirits ripped away from his armor and body.  Opening his eyes once more he saw Blackhawk swim slightly away from fear.

Gripping his yari with both hands he set his jaw, "Blackhawk, you've caused too much trouble."

"Torrent, your words will be stuck back into you!" Blackhawk sneered as he charged at Cye, waving the scythe part of the weapon around, making it hard for Cye to reach in and attack him.

Cye ducked at Blackhawk whizzed by, sending bubbles of water everywhere.

"I may be weak on land, but in water, you will see the full force of nature's waters," Cye said, and used his yari to clamp onto the spear part of Blackhawk's weapon.

Blackhawk pulled his spear, but it didn't budge.  He grinned evilly at Cye and reached behind him to take out one of his daggers.  With blinding hands and lethal accuracy the dagger buried itself in Cye's right arm in between the folds of the armor and sub-armor, the one holding the yari.  Cye cried out in pain and dropped his yari as he tried to pry out the deeply wedged in dagger.

"You fool!" Blackhawk laughed and tossed away his weapon along with the yari.

He took out a short sword and lunged at Cye.

                                    *                      *                      *

Shino slowly woke and felt something cold binding his neck.  He instinctively reached up with his hands and found a giant iron cuff around his neck.  Running a hand along the chain that was connected to it ended someplace on a damp, moist wall.  Shaking his head to clear away the fuzziness in his mind, the sharp jingling of the chain rattling against the wall was painful to his ears.

"Shino?  That you?" a cautious voice said from someplace in the shadows.

"Hiro?" Shino asked cautiously, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness dimmed with a small torch.

"Yeah, it's me.  Kaira and the others are here too," Hiro spoke back his voice betraying the weariness he was feeling.

"What's wrong?" Shino asked into the darkness.

"It's Sama, he's fading, and fast," Kaira said, the evident fear in her voice.

Shino sat in silence, contemplating the news.

                                    *                      *                      *

Sage gritted his teeth as another surge of black-purple lightning seared through his body.  He stared deep into the yellow-black water beneath him, and got a slight reflection of himself.  ' _I probably look like hell, but I have to hold on!  Can't let those dynasty goons control me,_ ' Sage thought as he felt his armor cry out in pain.  He winced, as the searing pain of his kanji burned on his forehead, brightly.

"Well Halo?  Had enough?  Come on, you are slowly dying, as is your son," Kamagati's voice floated to where he was hanging in a 'y' style above the spirit pool.

"You're lying, you know that bitch?" Sage said, grimacing as another bolt cut through his armored left thigh.

"My, my, such language Halo.  I thought you were prestige and courteous," Kamagati said floating up to his eye level.

She held up her hand and summoned a viewing portal.

"You see, your future son will soon cease to exist, as will you," Kamagati said sweetly, as the image showed Sama fading, and sitting right next to him was Kaira, on the verge of bursting into tears, "unless…you would join me."

"Go to hell and stay there," Sage spat back, glaring at her purplish-blue eyes.

"Well, I'll give you time to think about it," Kamagati said; she suddenly grabbed Sage's jaw and kissed him forcefully.

Sage never felt something so repulsive; his mouth felt like it was on fire and it tasted bitter.  He felt Kamagati bite down hard on his lower lip and tasted blood mixed in with some kind of poison saliva.  He felt his head spinning and his vision got blurry.  ' _No!  Don't pass out.  Set up your barriers!_ ' Sage thought to himself as he felt his psychic barriers come to life, after being dormant for so long.  The last thing he saw was Kamagati's face, twisted with evil and a black-purple lightning coming straight into his face.

Sage never felt so helpless.

                                    *                      *                      *

Cye swam downwards as Blackhawk passed overhead, intent on taking him out.  ' _I have to find my weapon!_ ' Cye thought as he swam as fast as he could while trying to ignore the throbbing pain of the dagger stuck in between the folds of the armor, blood misting around the water.  ' _Just hope there's no sharks in the Nether Realm,_ ' Cye thought as he glanced around, and spotted a distance light blue aura pulsing.

"You won't escape me Torrent!" Blackhawk yelled, diving after Cye.

Cye ignored him and swam towards the cyan colored light.  As he got closer he saw that his weapon was curving towards another whirlpool, and the scythe-spear was gone.  He caught his yari just as it was about to become tossed in with the other debris in the whirlpool.  He held the yari with as much as a firm grip would let him on his injured arm.  With his good hand he stroked away from the whirlpool's deadly grip.  When he was far away he let out a sigh, sending a few bubbles upwards.

"Gotcha!" Blackhawk said, snaking his left arm around Cye's neck, his right arm holding the short sword point near his right ear.

Cye switched handgrips with his yari and reached with the injured right arm trying to pry off the chokehold Blackhawk had on him.  He saw white spots dance before his eyes, and his air circulation was slowly being cut off.

"No…I got you…where I want you to…be," Cye managed to get out, and with his last strength, used his left hand, the one with the yari, and twisted it backwards.

The clamp of the yari latched on the Blackhawk's neck, and Cye pulled hard, making Blackhawk release his grip on him.  Cye twisted around and watched with cold sea-blue eyes as Blackhawk struggled with the vise-like grip.  Suddenly Blackhawk stopped and glared at Cye with his glowing green eyes.  Before Cye knew what happened, he found two more small daggers, one buried on his left calf the other was in the same spot where his wound was, opening a bigger gap in it.  Without conscious thought, Cye twisted his yari and the resounding crack of a neck bone breaking in half was heard though the waters.

                                    *                      *                      *

Rowen felt that something was wrong.  Something was crying out in pain in his mind.  It sounded vaguely familiar.  He stopped drifting and paused to locate the sound.

"Strata, you should continue, you haven't seen the wonders of the Andromeda galaxy," the disembodied voice said, and Rowen saw two dark blue eyes appear in the middle of space.

"Just who are you anyway?" Rowen asked.

"I am Sanjuro Hashiba," the blue-eyed voice said.

Rowen was suspicious as he narrowed his eyes; "You aren't Sanjuro!  Raven!"

"Very good Strata, defiance and you have a cunning edge like your ancestor Sanjuro," Raven said as the blue eyes disappeared as he revealed himself.

Raven waved a hand and Rowen suddenly felt surges of black-lightning play all over his armor and body.  He cried out in pain as Nether spirits entered in and out of his armor and body.  Rowen closed his eyes and calmed himself.  ' _Alright, now think Rowen, think!_ ' he thought to himself, ' _you are the bearer of Strata._ '

"Arrow's Wave!" Rowen cried out, and a blue-gold sphere of light engulfed him.

He heard the Nether Spirits cry out then silenced as they disappeared into nothing.  He opened his eyes to find Raven and Kayura, their swords drawn and ready.

"Impressive Strata, see how you handle this!" Kayura laughed.

"Lady Kayura…" Rowen said trailing off as he realized that the once ally was now possessed by Nether spirits.

"QUAKE WITH FEAR!" Kayura screamed and Rowen saw hundreds of red tendrils come straight at him.

He blocked some of the red tendrils with his bow, but they latched on to him.

"Now get a taste of my medicine!" Raven said, grinning as he raised his crossbow, "Cauldron of Darkness!"

A wave of black energy slammed into Rowen, breaking the chains that held him and he tumbled into the atmosphere, barely conscious.

"…have to hold on…" Rowen whispered as he slowly fell through the atmosphere and towards the Nether Realm.

                                    *                      *                      *

Cye lifted himself out of the water, and was rewarded with a bleak, desolate yellow-brown area.  He turned his head towards the sound of hoof-beats coming from the distance.  ' _Damn, gotta get to shelter before these bloody soldiers see me,_ ' Cye thought as he spotted the entrance-walls to what was once formally known as Talpa's castle.  He ran towards it and hid underneath a slightly raised wall.  A few minutes later, the hoof-beats faded away and Cye let out a sigh of relief.  He released his armor and sub-armor and inspected the two wounds he had gotten from the fight.  Fighting the urge to scream in pain he pulled out the two daggers that were embedded deep in his right arm.  As he pulled it out, a small stream of blood flowed.  Cye ripped a part of his hooded tee shirt and tried to tie it as best as he could with one hand.  A slight pain from his left calf demanded that he look at it.  Cye pulled the dagger out, but noticed that it wasn't as deep as the one on his arm, plus the bleeding stopped.  He sighed and closed his eyes as he leaned back on a square pole from the upraised wall.  He opened his eyes and fingered his kanji ball.  The sunlight reflected off of it and Cye saw Trust reflect on the ground.

"Trust…what did I do back there?" Cye whispered to himself as he thought of the recent battle.

' _I let my own actions control me.  No, this is not the way, but I have to save my friends_ ,' Cye thought as he frowned at the kanji ball.  Putting it in his pocket he closed his eyes to meditate.  ' _Gotta think of a plan, Cye.  You're their best hope,_ ' he thought as he induced himself in a meditative state.

His kanji ball glowed brightly…

                                    *                      *                      *

_Chapter 7_

 

            Kento opened his eyes; all he could see was blackness.  ' _Am I blind?_ ' he thought to himself.  Suddenly a bright, piercing light shone in front of his face.  Kento instinctively covered his eyes, but found that strong iron chains held his hands away from each other.  He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

            "So now Hardrock, don't like the light?  Too bad…I was hoping you put up a fair fight," a metallic voice said, coming from the direction of the light.

            Kento slowly opened his eyes and recognized the silouhette of Dais, standing behind the bright light.

            "What are you doing here.  Shouldn't you be a lap-dog, running errands for Shadow?" Kento said, pulling on the chains, testing its hold.

            "Why, Hardrock, I'm surprised to see you think this way.  No, Shadow Lord holds me with the highest esteem," Dais said arrogantly.

            "Yeah, I'm sure he does," Kento muttered under his breath, as he pulled on the chains binding his arms.

            He grinned behind his faceplate as he heard the stones groan and shuffle a bit under his weight as he pulled.

            "Hey, Dais, get a load of this!" Kento yelled and pulled with all his might, as the chains holding on to him came loose with a thundering crash.

            He picked up his nunchucks/staff and charged swing at Dais who stood unmoving in surprise.  Dais' expression then became icy as he stood there stoically.  Kento swung with all his might, hitting Dais on the left side of his neck.  There was a giant flash, and Kento found himself, back in chains, a shining bright light in his face.

            "So now Hardrock, don't like the light?  Too bad…I was hoping you put up a fair fight," Dais said.

            ' _What the hell is going on?_ ' Kento wondered as this time, he saw Dais without his faceplate on, grinning like the devil.

                                                *                      *                      *

_Wildfire…_

_Wildfire…_

            Ryo stirred up as he heard melodic voices calling his name.  ' _Whoa, in which country did I land on?_ ' Ryo thought to himself as he saw an area littered with jagged rocks and a very tall mountain.

            "Why Ryo?  Isn't it great to be out of the Nether Realm?" a voice that he had not heard from in a long time said behind him.

            Ryo spun around; fully aware that he was in his armor, and saw a face no older than what he saw when he was just six years old.

            "Dad?" Ryo gaped, "but…but I thought you died, killed by a lion."

            "I am very much alive son.  Do you not see me?" Ryo's father said, opening his arms to embrace his son.

            Part of Ryo wanted to hug a person he had not seen for ten years, but another part of his said that it was a trap.  Ryo hesitated, unsure which one to follow.  He looked down on the ground, willing himself to decide which was the right course.  ' _Where are my friends?_ ' Ryo thought as he contemplated the decision.  Suddenly his father cried out and Ryo's head snapped up to see a lion pounce on his father, tearing him to shreds.

            "NO!" Ryo yelled, startling the lion, which ran away.

            Ryo ran to his father's side and held his father's head prone, resting it against his knee.  ' _Ryo, my son, choose wisely,_ ' he heard in his mind as he saw his father's eyes slowly drop down.  ' _No this cannot be happening, it's not true!_ ' Ryo thought angrily as he cradled his father's still form.

            "It hurts doesn't it Wildfire?" Shadow Lord's voice said, breaking though Ryo's anguished thoughts.

            "You have a sick mind, you know that Shadow!!" Ryo said angrily, not looking up to face the demon.

            "Your friends will face the same fate if you do not take action," Shadow Lord said, "look.  Look how your friends suffer as you are here, outside the Nether Realm."

            Ryo finally looked up and saw in the viewing portal, that indeed his friends and teammates were in considerable pain.  He saw Sage, bounded by his arms, above a swirling cloud of dark water-the spirit pool.  He was semi-conscious, and an occasional black-lightning would snake it's way up and hit him, making him wince in pain as his armor flashed a bright green then return to it's normal color.

            "You see how Halo is suffering, he needs your help," Shadow said then closed the viewing portal and summoned another one.

            Ryo glared at Shadow for a moment, before letting his eyes rest on the portal that he summoned.  He didn't like what he saw.  The C-Ronins was being tortured, along with Mia and White Blaze.  He watched as he saw his future daughter being whipped by a single Shadow soldier she could have taken out with one swift stroke from her twin katanas.  Her face was not defiant and full of leadership, her eyes were dulled from the pain, and she now had a haunted look.

            "Your daughter, she was once just like you, but as you are out here, she in there suffering because you are too careless," Shadow taunted.

            "I am not careless," Ryo said desperately trying to instill some confidence in himself.

            "And what about Mia, the one you care the most other than yourself?" Shadow inquired, grinning behind his mask as his plan was working perfectly, "she trusted you to do the right thing."

            "Ryo, why aren't you here!  I trusted you, how could you betray me like this, leaving me here," Mia whispered from the viewing portal as she hung limply on the chains binding her to the damp wall of the prison.

            That was the last straw for Ryo, as he turned away, unable to even look at Shadow Lord, unable to defy him.  ' _Is it true?  Is this what's happening right now?  How could I do this?_ ' he thought to himself.  Shadow Lord smirked evilly as he closed the viewing portal.  ' _All is going according to my plans.  Soon Wildfire will be traversing in self-pity and the desperation of rescuing his friends.  Then I can drain the remainder of his powers and forever rid myself the leaders of the Ronins and C-Ronins,_ ' Shadow thought as he teleported away.

            Ryo didn't even noticed Shadow's disappearance as he uttered a single word, falling onto his knees, "NO!!"

                                                *                      *                      *

His kanji ball glowed brightly…

            Cye was aware that he was half-awake, but half in a dream-like state.  He recounted all those times he fought, against the Dynasty and the Warlords; against the Red Dungeon and the Warrior of Annihilation, his hardest enemy before Blackhawk; and now against the Shadow Realm and his dark-warlords.  ' _All through these battles, I've fought to defend my friends and myself.  But was it right?_ ' he questioned himself as he saw the battle images flash by in his meditative state.  He felt another presence enter his mind and recognized it as Shino.  ' _Shino?  How'd you do that?_ ' he asked, hoping that his future son could hear him.  ' _Dad?  Thank Cajun food, you're all right.  Where are you?_ ' Shino replied.  ' _Wallowing in self-pity and outside the_ _Nether_ _Ocean_ _.  I escaped Blackhawk,_ ' Cye thought, ' _Cajun food?_ '  ' _Sorry, mom says that,_ ' Shino replied, ' _you and I have a rapport with each other ever since you got your second generation armor, since my C-Torrent armor is an almost a clone of it.  I can't really hear your questions, but I could feel your emotions, since you are in the original armor._ '  Cye "felt" Shino thinking of something.  ' _Here, I'll give you a glimpse of your future.  You once had this discussion with me when I first got my Conjunction armor,_ ' Shino thought.

**_Flash!_ **

            "You did good out there today son, I'm very proud of you," Cye said putting an affectionate arm around Shino's shoulders as they both sat on the small dock in Mia's property lake, overlooking the beautiful and colorful sunset.

            The Ronins lived in different parts of Toyama and nearby Sendai, but Mia's mansion was a secondary home, if they had prolonged battles or if they wanted to have a get together.

            "But dad, when I fought out there, I didn't feel right.  I felt as if I was committing a big error in the face of God," Shino said, tossing a couple of rocks out into the lake.

            "You're not son.  I had this once, self-pitying myself.  Saying, was I right to fight?  It was when we battled a fierce opponent named Mukara.  He held a twin version of Ryo's Inferno armor, a black color.  It was so powerful that it controlled Mukara, not Mukara controlling the armor itself.  I was afraid.  My kanji says Trust.  But how could I trust my own instincts; I realized that the armors were controlling us Ronins, I was so afraid to let my power go to Ryo to form Inferno.  I was afraid to fight," Cye explained.

            "Damn, dad, you afraid?" Shino said in disbelief.

            "Yes, but eventually I realized that I had to fight, to save my friends.  So you're not committing a big error.  You just need to keep your heart pure and right to not let the armor control you," Cye said, then ruffled his son's reddish-brown hair.

**_Flash!_ **

            Cye jolted out of his meditation abruptly as Shadow Lord's mental voice filled his head.  ' _So Torrent, you have escaped, now did you.  You won't get very far to rescue your friends,_ ' Shadow said and severed the connection between Shino and him.  Cye stood up and took his kanji ball out from his pocket.  He felt a sharp dull pain in the upper portion of his right arm, reminding him of his battle with Blackhawk.

            "Torrent!" Cye yelled out as he felt the cool, light blue sub-armor replace his clothes.

            He stepped out from his hiding place and was greeted with at least a dozen Nether and Shadow soldiers.  Kicking one in the chest, he leaped high into the air, and plunged straight down into the group of soldiers, his left arm extended out like a knife.  His left arm snapped one of the soldier's head back and it faded away.  Cye ran past the others and jumped high into the air again.

            "Armor of Torrent!  Dao Shin!" Cye yelled out as he put his hands out and braced himself for the transformation process.

            Light blue condensed energy formed on his hands, as cherry blossom roll-paper shot around him.  He gritted his teeth as the energy surged though him.  Suddenly light petals of cherry blossoms fell around him and touched his sub-armor, hardening into the Torrent armor.  There was a flash and Cye found himself back in the air, his yari in his right hand.  He landed and the Nether and Shadow soldiers formed a circle around him, intending to trap him like a cat in a corner.

            "SUPER WAVE SMASHER!" Cye yelled and water-energy burst through the crescent shape end of his yari, obliterating the soldiers.

            He winced as the unearthly screams of the Shadow soldiers reached his ears, piercing the usual silence of the Nether Realm.  Then all was quiet, with the occasional lapping of waves reaching the shoreline.  Cye breathed a sigh of relief as he leaned heavily against his yari.  He noticed that he was still exhausted from the battle with Blackhawk, and knew that it was not good.  ' _If I fight like this, getting exhausted, my guard won't be up.  I have to conserve my energy,_ ' he thought to himself, as he looked warily around for anymore soldiers.  Seeing none, he started to walk into the maze that housed the main tower/castle in the Nether Realm.

            Someone watched him unnoticed, his head peeking just a little above the ocean with glowing green eyes.

                                                *                      *                      *

Mia felt totally helpless as she watched Ryo's armor darken a bit with every flash of a green tendril lashing at him.  She hung by her wrists, her legs too tired to support her own weight, and every single move she made hurt her arms.  She glared darkly at Blackfire, who stood away from the pool/sphere, his expression neutral and unemotional.  ' _Oh, Ryo, wake up!  I know you can do it!  You need to wake up so you can regain power to your armor.  You're slowly dying Ryo!_ ' Mia thought desperately, hoping he could hear her.

"Why are you doing this? Ryo is a part of you Blackfire, can't you feel his pain like your own?" Mia shouted angrily at Blackfire.

"He is not me.  He is an abomination.  He is the clone," Blackfire said, his voice devoid of any emotion as he continued to watch Ryo hang above the specially made Spirit pool.

"You are the clone!  You are the one doing it to yourself!  What if he dies?  Then you will not exist!" Mia said then shrank back as Blackfire came towards her, his glowing light blue eyes blazing with anger.

Blackfire slapped Mia hard, snapping her head to the side, "You will learn to shut your mouth up girl!  Continue your little crusade to free Wildfire, for all I care."

Blackfire spun around and walked out, leaving Mia half-dazed from the hit.

                                    *                      *                      *

Kento glanced around warily unsure what course of action to take.  ' _What is going on here?_ ' he thought to himself as he saw Dais twirl his nunchucks.  Kento spread his legs apart, shoulder width as he hooked together his nunchucks into a staff.  ' _Is this an illusion, a dream state?_ ' he thought as he pinched himself on the neck.  He yelped and realized that it was all real, and he was not under a dream-like state.  ' _Aw hell,_ ' he thought as he held his staff ready.

"Well Dais, ready to rumble?" Kento asked, blinking against the bright light shining in his face.

"You know that Shadow Lord will rule the universe and you will be his slaves, so why don't you give it up Hardrock and save yourself the trouble!" Dais said, the metallic cling in his voice echoing off the walls of the room.

"Well, I'm sick and tired of you saying about how good Shadow Lord is.  Stick those words up your little puny ass and stay there!" Kento shouted, his temper finally blown.

He swung at Dais and expected a giant flash like the previous times he fought, but there was none.  Dais blocked and unleashed a barrage of nunchucks ends in Kento's face, trying to blind him to an unexpected attack.  Kento twirled his staff, blocking the nunchucks and stabbed at Dais's abdomen.

"You fight very well Hardrock," Dais commented, wiping some blood from his split lip as he stood up from the hit, "Now try this!  Web of Deception!"

Hundreds of white web-like strands flew towards Kento, cris-crossing all around him, forming unbreakable bands of energy.  Kento felt the constricting grasp of the white energy and found himself short of breath as he tried to break them apart.

"Don’t like it Hardrock?  Well, try this for size!" Dais said, and his nunchucks flew at an impossible speed, hitting Kento all over.

Kento cried out from the assault, unable to move back or defend himself as Dais's sure-kill held him in place.  ' _Justice!  I have to get out of here!_ ' Kento thought as he felt his kanji glow on his forehead.  His armor pulsed with the strength of Justice as he tried to free himself.

"What's this?  Hardrock, leaving so soon?  Please stay, we have much more to discuss.  Web of Deception!" Dais cried out and hundreds more of the white-energy strands wrapped themselves around Kento, enfolding him in a cocoon.

"Armor of Hardrock!  IRON ROCK CRUSHER!" Kento yelled, and felt incredible power surge from his body to his staff.

The energy condensed and blew apart the cocoon, and Kento flew though the air and landed on the ground, panting heavily from the power he incorporated to the sure-kill.

"Dais, you've caused enough trouble!  Iron Rock Crusher!" Kento yelled again and this time, his sure-kill lifted up heavy rocks and dirt, headed straight towards Dais.

"Web of Deception!" Dais yelled, countering the attack.

Both sure-kills met each other half way, neither one relenting.  Finally the power build up was too much and Kento and Dais flew in opposite directions as the sure-kills exploded.  ' _Man, that was sure a toughie.  I have to stay conscious,_ ' Kento thought as he flew though the air.  He noticed that he escaped his prison, even though it was a crude way.

"Heads up Cye!  Here's Kento of Hardrock!" Kento called out to his best friend who was running towards Shadow Lord's castle.

He saw Cye look up and grin and knew that he was all right and also escaped his prison.  ' _Everything's all right.  The Ronin Warriors will soon be back together.  Then we could kick Shadow Lord and his goons' ass,_ ' he thought.

                                    *                      *                      *

Ryo snapped his eyes open, and noticed that he was in a pool of some sorts, with reddish water and a dome sphere around him.  ' _Okay, chill Ryo, that was just only an illusion that Shadow wanted you to think.  Your buds are not in trouble, they're just disabled,_ ' Ryo tried to calm his anxiety, ' _but what if they are in trouble?_ '  He noticed that he was hanging 'y' style above the pool, his feet barley touching the surface of the pool.  He looked around and saw Mia, hanging limply on a wall.

"Mia!" Ryo yelled, trying to see if she was awake.

He saw Mia lift up her head with effort, and knew that she was injured; how severely, he didn't know.

"So, Wildfire, you're awake.  Good, this will make your armor drain much easier," Shadow Lord's voice bounced all over the walls of the room.

"If you want this armor, then you'll pay the price!" Ryo said, struggling to free himself from the chains.

Shadow laughed evilly as he materialized, hovering in front of Ryo who gritted his teeth in frustration.  He pointed two fingers at him and Ryo suddenly felt a tingling within his armor.  Suddenly black-lightning flashed from his armor and all around him.  Ryo cried out against the onslaught, and out of the corner of his pain filled eyes, he noticed that the water in the pool got darker, almost a blood-red-crimson color.

"Feel my poison Wildfire!" Sekhemet said, from behind him.

Ryo felt as if he was going to pass out from the intense pain of both the water-poison waves lapping over him and from the black-lightning produced by the Nether spirits.  ' _I have to stay conscious.  I can't let them invade my mind again!_ ' Ryo thought as he desperately tried to keep his eyelids from closing.

He was totally helpless against the onslaught of dark power.

                                    *                      *                      *

Blackfire paced around the main hall where Shadow usually resided.  ' _Is Mia right?  What if Wildfire dies, will I cease to exist too?_ ' Blackfire thought as he rubbed the back of his neck, wincing at the ripples of skin around his neck.  He remembered when he fought Wildfire in the future, when Talpa came back for the third time; he got whipped in to shape, literally.  He stopped abruptly as he remembered the pained look on Mia's face and part of him felt sorry and wanted to help her.

"I thought I quelled that part of me down.  Looks like I wasn't too successful," he mumbled to himself, shifting his helmet around his hands.

"Blackfire, stop pacing around, you're gonna make me sick!" Kamagati's sharp voice said, bringing his head around to his left.

"Why do you care, hell aren't you even supposed to be torturing the C-Ronins?" Blackfire spat, casting her a scathing glance.

Kamagati made a cat-like noise and snorted, "Look who's gotten on the wrong side of the bed.  Anything I could do to help?"

Blackfire dismissed her seductive glances and turned away to think.  ' _What if Mia's right?  I don't want her to be hurt, yet I want to get rid of Wildfire.  Arrg!  What's wrong with me!_ ' he thought as he glanced at his helmet, an exact copy of the Wildfire helmet, but a crimson-black color.

                                    *                      *                      *

_Chapter 8_

 

            Rowen felt himself slowly tumble towards the Earth and back to the Nether Realm.  _If I don't do something soon, I'm gonna get fried by reentering the atmosphere,_ Rowen thought to himself.  He glanced behind him and saw Raven and Kayura following him at a close distance and gaining.

            "Strata, you will not escape me!" Raven cried out, bringing his crossbow to bear on Rowen.

            Rowen ducked instinctively as a black colored arrow of energy whizzed by the side of his head.  He closed his hands together and a protective sphere of blue energy surrounded him, slowing his decent and acting as a cushion to the fiery heat of him entering the atmosphere.  He glanced back again and saw that Kayura had disappeared and Raven was forming his own bubble.  _Damn!  Either he has almost the same power I have, or his armor was specially made to defeat the Strata armor, countering all it's attacks and powers.  Hell, we even have almost the same weapons,_ Rowen thought bitterly as he saw the cold unforgiving ground of the Nether World come slowly up to his feet.  He touched down and looked up for any sign of Raven.  Suddenly he felt a metal chain wrap around his throat, cutting off his air supply.  He automatically reached with his hands to pry off the chain, gritting his teeth as the chain slowly squeezed his neck, choking him to death.  He suddenly felt himself yanked into the air and the chain uncoiled from his neck.  Rowen saw a figure whiz pass him, and then he saw bright flashes before his eyes, followed by intense pain as he slammed into a rocky cliff.  He laid there, stunned from the force of the impact.

            "Are you happy now Raven?  I got him in sub-armor mode" Kayura's voice could be heard from his closed eyes.

            Rowen slowly cracked them opened, and stared into a horridly scarred face with dark blue eyes that matched his own.  He noticed that his armor had faded away, leaving him with his slightly cracked sub-armor.

            "So how does it feel Strata, to be helpless, with no one to help you," Raven sneered, stretching a particular scar across his left cheek into a hideous smile.

            "Sanjuro was right, you are not who you were," Rowen commented, glaring back at Raven.

            Raven's eyes flashed suddenly with inhumane fury as he backhanded Rowen across his face, splitting his lip.  Rowen grinned a bit as he found the weak point of Raven.  He tasted blood, and reached up a hand; he felt three parallel lines running across his chin, a bit sore.  _Raven must have sharp knuckles for that_ , Rowen thought as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, wincing a bit as a sharp pain raced up his spine.

            "Shadow soldiers!  Take this one away to the pools.  He needs a lesson he will never forget, and prepare my Cerberus whip," Raven said standing up.

            Three Shadow soldiers materialized, and grabbed hold of Rowen, hauling him to his feet and forced him to stand.

            "Reflect on your mistake Strata, because it would be your last one before you die!" Raven said, and waved his hand.  The Shadow soldiers disappeared along with Rowen.

            "My lord, Strata is back in our hands.  Shall I proceed with the plan?" Raven asked the sky, knowing that Shadow Lord could hear him anywhere.

            "Yes.  Lady Kayura, Elements is attempting to escape again," Shadow's voice boomed over the sky, sounding distracted.

            "Yes, my lord.  I obey," Kayura said and flashed off to another area in the Nether World.

            _Strata, you will meet your end_ , Raven thought as he grinned maliciously.

                                                *                      *                      *

            Kareyn glared at the Nether spirits gathered around her, trying to get to her armor.

            "Why don't you guys just piss off and take a vacation.  Better yet, take a hike!" Kareyn yelled, her anger mounting up, as the spirits continued to chant.

            "Oh, and have you ever tried to listen to the group Chant?  They are even better than you!" she sarcastically said, and pushed against the bubble they formed around her.

            "You will become one of us," one of the priest said, and Kareyn noticed that he had an elaborate hat on his head.

            "Like hell I will.  So you're the head honcho; why don't you shove your goddamn chants up your ass and let it stay there," Kareyn yelled, then winced as a bolt of black-lightning lanced at her hip, penetrating the armor and she felt intense pain coming from that area.

            "Now, now, testy aren't we Elements?" Lady Kayura's voice said, and Kareyn snapped her head up to see the last of the Ancient's clan hovering above her containment bubble.

            "What do you want traitor?" Kareyn demanded.

            "I think you're not in a position to make such demands.  However I do have some interesting things to show you," Kayura replied and floated to eye-level with Kareyn.

            "Like hell I'll find them interesting.  I've got nothing to do with the likes of you.  You betrayed the Ronin Warriors and you expect me to just see what you have?" Kareyn said.

            "Why did you come here then?  To become the female Ronin who kicks everyone's ass?" Kayura asked, irritated, "if you had not come, then Shadow Lord's plan would be easier."

            "Glad I'm the one who messes up things," Kareyn replied sarcastically, "I am not the female Ronin who kicks ass, I am a warrior.  Trained to defeat the Red Dungeon and its evil forces, also to destroy Shadow Lord and Shadow Realm.  I've only asked for the Ronin's help and they supplied it.  Now I am going to be the one who will destroy Shadow Lord."

            "I'm sure you will.  While you dreaming, take a load of this!  Quake With Fear!" Kayura yelled, and Kareyn felt blinding pain enter through every pore, every nerve of her body, paralyzing her.

            She tried to use her healing powers to deflect the attack, but felt that the sure-kill was added on with a hint of intense dark power only from Shadow Lord.

            "Kareyn of the Elements, if I were you, I wouldn't worry your pretty head off about Strata, he will soon be one of ours, as is your daughter," Kayura said, and disappeared.

            "I'll get you Kayura, if it is the last thing I do.  You will not harm Rowen or my future daughter," Kareyn whispered, her strength drained out of her, as she collapsed onto her knees.

            She didn't even noticed the Nether spirits converging on her, as she passed out from Kayura's fierce attack and the black-lightning tendrils coming from the Nether spirits.

                                                *                      *                      *

            Cye for once since he escaped, was glad that Kento made it out of the prison Dais was holding him in.

            "Come on man, let's take a breather.  I'm exhausted from running," Kento's voice said behind him, followed by a couple of deep breaths.

            "Kento, we have to find the others," Cye explained to his friend, who sat down, his back to a musty wall.

            Suddenly the rumbling footsteps of Nether soldiers clamped near them.  Cye used his sub-armor's enhanced power to jump to the roof of the wall.  He felt the tiles on the roof rumble a bit as Kento landed next to him.

            "How many on the ridge?" Kento whispered, glancing behind him to make sure there were no "smart-ass" Nether or Shadow soldiers creeping up on them.

            "About four.  Shadow Lord's beefing up security," Cye whispered back, keeping his head low as so the soldiers wouldn't see him.

            Suddenly, a spiked ball lanced out at them from the middle of nowhere, hitting Kento in the chest and sending him sprawling to the ground.  Cye glanced at the direction the ball had come from and saw Dais and someone who was decked out in a dark-crimson red European style armor.  _Oh no, not her.  I thought I defeated and killed her_ , Cye thought with dread as he recognized the armor.

"So, Torrent, we meet again," the red-clad person said, holding out a very large and sharp-bladed death-scythe.

"Quasa, Warrior of Annihilation, I thought I killed you when we fought the Red Dungeon," Cye said, his sea-blue eyes narrowing in slightly controlled anger.

"Do I look dead, pretty boy?" Quasa said, her rich alto voice, slightly deeper and had a hint of dark aura around it.

Cye felt boiling anger bubbling up inside of him as he glared daggers at Quasa.  Back, a month ago, when he and the Ronins were helping Kareyn fight the Red Dungeon, Quasa had tried to seduce him, and almost succeeded, but Kento intervened, and literally knocked him to his senses.

"Oh no.  No, no, no!  Not her again.  Dais, why don't you just stay in your spider's lair instead," Kento complained, landing next to Cye after disposing of a couple of Nether soldiers, "Cye, you better watch yourself, last time, she almost had ya."

"Don't worry Kento, I'll be fine," Cye said, "Armor of Torrent!  Dao Shin!"

"Armor of Hardrock!  Dao Gi!"

There were two bright flashes then Cye and Kento appeared in their armors.

"Alright!  I'm ready for you Torrent!  Meet your doom!" Quasa said, and lunged at Cye.

_What the hell?  It's almost like she's eager to battle.  Something's not right here_ , Cye thought as he brought up his yari to block the red bladed scythe.  Cye brought up the yari in another parry as Quasa continued to lunge at him.  Suddenly he slipped on a tile and fell down the roof-wall and onto the hard, rocky ground between walls.  Cye felt himself short of breath as he had the wind knocked out of him.  His yari landed a few feet away from him; it's bladed end sticking on the ground.  _Whoa, I could have landed that fall, what's wrong with me?_ Cye questioned himself, but he already knew the answer; he was still exhausted from the fierce battle with Blackhawk and from running around the maze of walls.  He sat up, feeling a sudden dizziness wash over him, and shook his head a bit to clear it.

"Don't even think about moving an inch Torrent," the voice of Quasa said, and Cye glanced at the corner of his eyes, and saw the red tip of the scythe pointed at the side of his neck.  He returned his gaze straightforward and heard the clomping footsteps of Quasa as she walked around to face him.

"I bet you're looking for this?" the Warrior of Annihilation said, holding up his yari in front of his face, "uh, uh.  Don't even think of moving or you're going to be sliced and diced."

Cye reached his left hand up, and felt the tip of the scythe dig a bit into his neck, but he ignored the pain and rubbed his right shoulder, the one with the camouflaged dagger that came with the Torrent armor.

"Stand up," Quasa commanded and Cye stood up, glaring at her, "You know, I should kill you right now, but you're too handsome for that to happen, so I guess I don't know what to do."

Cye lifted the handle of the dagger a bit; "I know what you could do, _Blackhawk_!  You could go to hell for all I care!"

He ducked under the scythe-blade and lifted the dagger up.  Looking into the Warrior of Annihilation's face, he saw hints of Blackhawk in there, seething mad.  Stabbing the dagger into her right shoulder he stepped back and grabbed his discarded yari.

"You…how could you…" Quasa stuttered, shock mirroring all over her features as she stared mutely at the dark blood running down her red-armor, deepening the color.  She glanced up, her glowing green eyes flashing with inhumane fury.

Cye stepped back a bit, as Quasa charged at him, waving her weapon around like a halberd.  He blocked her attacks, and one glance into her eyes, he knew that somehow, Blackhawk had managed to revive Quasa and possess her.  Her eyes were psychotic.

"Feel the force of destruction Torrent, for you shall pay with blood.  NUCLEAR WARHEAD!" Quasa screamed, swiping her scythe in a circle.

"SUPER WAVE SMASHER!" Cye yelled, holding his yari as blue-yellow energy burst though the bladed end of the weapon.

Both sure-kills met in the middle, creating a giant pressure dome of water-energy and nuclear energy.  _Armor of Torrent, lend me your power to defeat this foe_ , Cye thought, and he felt his armor tingle then felt power add on to his sure-kill.  He looked up at Quasa and saw fear in her eyes, as his sure-kill combined with hers and ran a warpath towards her.

"NO!  Torrent, you will pay!  Some day I will get you!" Blackhawk and Quasa's voice overlapped each other as she was obliterated by the sure-kills.

Cye collapsed onto the ground, exhausted from the power drain.  The only thing he could do was breathe.

                                    *                      *                      *

_Where am I?_ Rowen wondered as he saw though blurry, hazy eyes at the purple-red scenery.

"Welcome from back from the land of the unconscious," a deep baritone voice said, brining Rowen's head around to his left.

"Raven," Rowen sneered as if it was a curse word.  He struggled from the chains wrapped around his arms and legs, binding him above the Spirit Pool.

There was a snapping sound as Raven cracked his Cerberus whip, the three heads of the whip digging sharply into the ground.

"Rowen of the Strata, my relative.  Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Raven said, draping the whip around him.

"Yeah, go to hell!" Rowen said, and suddenly felt incredible pain race across his back as Raven's wrist flicked, sending the Cerberus whip flying at him.

"Defiant to the end.  Just like my traitorous brother Sanjuro.  Allow me to introduce you to my Cerberus whip.  It has three ends, just like the three-headed dog of Greek mythology.  Except these could cut though your sub-armor," Raven said, and flicked his wrist again.

Rowen winced as the bladed ends rip though his sub-armor and scratched though his skin.  He refused to cry out, not even giving an inch to Raven's pleasure.  _My sub-armor should heal me, but those damned Nether spirits are keeping it from doing it_ , he thought as he winced again as another crack tore at his suspended body.

"Come on, Strata, you know that you are in a lot of pain.  Cry out, and I will stop it.  Or do you want some more?" Raven taunted, and cracked the whips twice, making six fresh new lines appear over Rowen's sub-armor, and three fresh new cuts.

Rowen glared ahead, his head not moving as he stared at a particular point in the pool. _I will not submit to him.  I will be strong like the winds of my armor; they will give me Life_ , he thought stubbornly.  Out of the corner of his left eye, he saw a purple flash then Lady Kayura appeared.

"Ah, my dear Lady Kayura, so glad you could join us.  It seems that Strata is a bit of a problem.  Perhaps you might be of an assistance," Raven said, mock politely.

"Certainly, my lord," Lady Kayura said, her voice dripping with honey.

Rowen saw her float up, toward him.  He kept his gaze ahead at a particular spot.

"My, my Strata, such hatred.  Are you up to your heroic act again?  You know that you caught me off guard that first time, but I guess it won't work," Kayura said, one of her fingers tracing the outline of his face.

"Get your hands away from me," Rowen said angrily.  He glanced deep into her eyes and saw the real Kayura inside, fearful and slightly pissed off.

"Oh, you don't like me?  Your heart is still set on little, Miss Elements?  Well, let me show you," Kayura said, and summoned a viewing portal.

"If you touch her or harm her in any way Kayura, I swear you will pay for it!" Rowen angrily said then his defenses came down as he saw her, beaten up, and hanging limply from the chains.  An occasional black-lightning snaked its way up and electrocuted a part of her.  "No," Rowen whispered, staring in horror at the way she was, defeated and barely a single drop of her usual fierceness coming from her.

Suddenly Rowen hissed in pain and his back arched involuntarily as Raven struck, the whip's three heads digging deep into his flesh.  There were three more cracks and Rowen felt drained, from the assault.  He slowly began to put up his mental defenses like Sage taught him.

"I think Strata is a bit more willing now Raven.  If you do not need any more of my assistance, I will be checking on Elements," Kayura said her voice a bit shaky, and disappeared.

"Nether soldiers!  You may start the process on this one now.  If he resists, tell me," Raven said and waved the Nether soldiers, which converged on Rowen.

_Armor of Strata…Life…hold on Kareyn, hold on Kaira, I will be there…soon_ , Rowen thought as he passed out from the blue-black lightning the Nether spirits threw at him.

                                    *                      *                      *

Kareyn slowly opened her eyes, and noticed that she was still in the containment bubble, but there were no Nether spirits around her.  _What the hell?  Where are they?_ She thought with curiosity, as she glanced down and saw that the pool was also calm.  Suddenly there was a flash of purple and Lady Kayura appeared.

"What do you want bitch?" Kareyn asked, extremely pissed off.

"I…I…came to tell…you…I'm sorry," Kayura stammered, and Kareyn's eyes narrowed.

"What, that you're sorry for destroying my daughter and boyfriend!" Kareyn yelled into her face.

"I am not who you think.  I subdued the Nether spirit within me, with the help of another," Kayura said, almost afraid to go near her.

"Yeah, right, and I'm Moe of the Three Stooges," Kareyn said, not believing a word she said.

"Trust her Elements, for she will free you," a voice said, around the room, making Kareyn turn her head around to see who it was.

"Where are you spirit!  Is this a trick!" Kareyn said, suspicious.

"No, this is not a trick child," the voice said, and Kareyn recoiled as the spirit materialized next to Kayura.

"Rowen?" Kareyn asked, tentatively, not too sure of the blue-haired, blue eyed person without any legs.

The spirit laughed, "No, I am Sanjuro Hashiba, Rowen's ancestor and the first bearer of the armor of Strata."

"Oh, my god…tell me I must be dreaming," Kareyn exclaimed, shocked at seeing what was an almost exact copy of Rowen, but a bit more muscular and tougher build.

"You will be when I get though with you!" the voice of Sekhemet said, as Kareyn landed on the edge of the pool, freed by Kayura with the Ancient's staff.

"Armor of Elements!  Dao Shi!" Kareyn yelled, forming up the Elements armor.

She put her hands together as if in prayer and her arms stretched outwards, making her arms and fingers look like a human arrow.  Rolls of cherry blossoms shot around her and a black-silver glow erupted from her hands, as she gritted her teeth against the pain of the transformation.  Suddenly there was a flash, and she spread her arms apart as the blossoms curled around her, and when they touched her sub-armor, they formed into the Elements armor.  Lastly came her katana, draped across from her right shoulder to her left hip on her back.  There was another flash and Kareyn found herself back in the Nether world.  She pulled the katana out of its sheath and held it in an en guarde position.

"You are bold, Kareyn of the Elements," Sekhemet said, and launched himself at her.

"You are foolish.  Fight the demon within Sekhemet," Kareyn yelled back and brought her katana up in a counterattack.

She parried and thrusted her weapon at the future-Warlord of Venom, as he dodged and countered.

"Snake Fang Strike!" Sekhemet yelled, and waved all six of his sword around his head.

"Earth's Fury Attack!" Kareyn yelled, bring her sword against her face and across her eyes, finally swiping it at Sekhemet.

Kareyn grinned a bit as she saw her sure-kill blow straight towards Sekhemet, and tossed him into the Nether pool, where he was converged by Nether spirits, tricked into thinking that he was Kareyn.

Re-sheathing her katana, Kareyn glanced at Kayura and the spirit of Sanjuro, "Let's go and get Rowen and the others."

Sanjuro grinned, and lead the way out.

                                    *                      *                      *

_Chapter 9_

 

            Shino shuddered a bit as the connection between him and his father was severed by Shadow Lord.  He glanced at his fellow teammates and nodded his head.  The sounds of chains rattling and falling to the ground echoed throughout the cell.  Shino was grateful that the genius of the bunch was still conscious and not fading like Sama and Sayli.  Kaira had thought up a way to free themselves from the chains.  She had noticed that the chains had fit to accommodate the original Ronin sub-armors, and therefore, since the C-Ronins had sleeker and almost skin-tight sub-armors, they could fit though the wide chains.

            "How are they?" he asked, putting himself in leader mode, since he was second in command to the group.

            "Not too good.  It looks like they've stopped fading, but for how long, I don't know," Kaira said holding Sama's head, cradled in her lap.

            "Shino…" Sayli whispered, "I want you to leave Sama and I here and get yourselves out.  Free Halo and Wildfire, so we could return to normal."

            "But…" Shino hesitated, "who knows what Kamagati might do to you guys when we're gone."

            "Listen ass-hole.  I am the leader here and I gave a command.  Follow it and beat those little dark-warlords to hell.  You hear me clear C-Torrent?" Sayli said, her light blue-green eyes flashing with anger.

            "Yes ma'am," Shino replied, suddenly afraid at what Sayli would do to him when she was back to her normal self.  He turned to Hiro, "Hiro, you stay and watch over them.  Me and Kaira will get help."

            Hiro nodded and ran over to Sayli's side to help her lean against the muck-filled wall.  Shino glanced at Kaira and saw that she was on the verge of breaking out the waterworks.

            "Come on, I think I have enough power to blast though the ceiling and get us out of here," Shino said and light blue energy condensed on his fists.

He stretched his hands upwards and the energy formed into a column, blowing up the roof of the prison.  Shards of rocks and dust fell around him and he coughed.  Suddenly a whirlwind formed and carried the rocks and dust high above the prison area.  Shino looked over to Kaira and saw that her armor's powers of wind created the mini tornado.  He saw her look over to him and nod.  Shino walked over the gap and crouched down.  He sprang up and back-flipped to land on the outside of the prison ceiling.  Moments later Kaira joined him, a tad bit exhausted.

"So where to now Sherlock?" Kaira asked, trying to instill some humor as she saw him frown.

Shino was silent for a few moments as he looked around, gauging the surrounding area.  He narrowed his eyes as he looked at a falling blue streak in the sky, followed by a black streak.

"I don't know, Kaira turn on your far sight, see if you can see if any of the Ronins escaped," Shino replied his eyes still focused on the falling blue and black streaks.

Kaira closed her eyes for a few moments, then opened them again-her eyes were all blue including the whites.  She saw green-blue as her armor's power of far sight was activated.

"Searching…I found your dad and Uncle Kento!  Kento's battling Dais while, oh-my-gosh…is that who I think it is?" Kaira gasped, bringing Shino's head around to face her.

"Who?  Come on, tell me!" Shino said, worried for his father.

"I think it's Quasa, but didn't your dad tell us that she was dead?" Kaira said, and Shino noticed that she was beginning to turn pale.

"Kaira, you all right?" Shino asked worried for his blood-sister.

"Yeah…just fine," Kaira gasped in between breaths, "I think something's wrong with my parents."

"Can you escape?" Shino asked, glancing in the direction of where Cye and Kento were battling.

"Yeah, I can, just can't battle that much for now," Kaira said, as some color returned to her cheeks.

"Okay, we're going by air, mind much?" Shino decided, hoping that none of the dark-warlords would see them, or Nether and Shadow Soldiers would also.

"Nope…Strata!  Conjunction!" Kaira cried.

"Torrent!  Conjunction!" Shino yelled.

Shino felt the armor-up process take over as he held his arms above his head.  Millions of gallons of water poured over him, and swirled in a whirlpool.  He stuck his arms to the side of the whirlpool and felt the tugging force hit his arms and formed the arm part of his armor.  He opened his eyes and walked through the swirling mass of water.  As he entered the friction part, he felt his helmet form and the rest of his armor.  He stepped out of the swirling vortex and droplets of water dripped down his armor.  In his right arm he held his trident, it's three blades sparkling.  He saw a flash and found himself back on the top of the prison roof.

Kaira felt thousands mile per hour winds slam into her from different directions.  She was in a mini tornado, created by her armor.  Her hands were outstretched and she felt herself lift off the ground by the tornado.  She flew higher and higher; each time, a piece of her armor would flash onto her.  Finally she reached the peak of the twister and she jumped out, her bow ready in front of her and her endless arrow pack strapped behind her.

"You know, your hair looks funny, all standing up in that twister," Shino commented as Kaira appeared beside him.

"Shut up moron.  You're lucky I'm giving you a lift," Kaira said, as she touched hands with Shino to form her bubble.

                                    *                      *                      *

Sage felt as if he was slammed down from a hundred-foot tall building to the ground then ran over with a monster truck.  His head pounded as he realized that the Nether Spirits got through his mental barriers and attacked the central core of his thoughts viciously.

"Are you ready Halo, to face your fate?" the humming voice of a Nether Spirits said, as he saw one of them float in front of his face.

"…I'll stick…your fate…up your ass," Sage croaked, his mouth dry as the SaharaDesert from the poison Kamagati instilled into him.

"Quite the humor don't you think Halo," the Nether Spirit replied.

"Wow, you've actually got intelligence and you can talk," Sage said, and realized that some of Rowen's sarcastic humor was rubbing on to him, "and I thought that you guys didn't even possess brains."

The Nether Spirit didn't reply and Sage turned his head slightly, wincing as pain shot all over his body.  _I must be really banged up, my sub-armor isn't even reacting against the Nether Spirits when it should_ , he thought darkly as he saw them circle around him, chanting.

"That's enough, remember Shadow Lord demands that they be tortured before giving them their fate," Kamagati's voice echoed and Sage saw her materialize in front of him.

"Come to pay me a visit?" Sage growled as he tried to get his mouth working again.

"Halo, why do you have to be so cold with me?" Kamagati said, pouting like a child, "you don't have to be, we are old friends."  She floated up in front of him, and traced a finger around his jaw, smiling seductively.

"Get away from me," Sage whispered in a deadly voice, flinching as Kamagati raked a nail down the right side of his face, making a cut that oozed with blood.

"My dear Sage, why?  If you just let yourself go everything will be all right.  I can guarantee that," Kamagati whispered into his ear.

Sage didn't answer as Kamagati stood floated behind him, and placed a hand on his upper back.

"You are so stubborn, maybe a little convincing will help you," Kamagati said and her hand crackled with black lightning.

Sage cried out in pain as her hand, placed on his back, pulsated the black lightning into him, making every nerve and fiber of his body cramp up.  He tried to will himself to fall into the black oblivion of unconsciousness but something was holding him back.  _She has control over a part of me_ , he realized with dread as he tried to reach behind him to stop Kamagati.

"Oh, you're trying so hard Halo, maybe I'll stop…then again, maybe I won't," Kamagati said laughing sadistically.

Sage could only watch through pain filled eyes as he felt his life slowly slipping away.

                                    *                      *                      *

Hiro glanced sadly at his teammate Sama, who was curled up in a fetal position, occasionally crying out in pain.  _Damn, that stupid dark-warlord who is hurting Uncle Sage!_ He thought angrily then glanced over to the leader of the C-Ronins.

"Sayli, you all right?" Hiro whispered.

"They stopped the torture for now.  How's Sama?" Sayli whispered her voice a bit hoarse.

"He's not doing too well, my guess is that someone is having their own sick fun of slowly killing Uncle Sage," Hiro snarled, then looked up as the door to his cell banged open.

A couple of Nether and Shadow Soldiers filed through followed by a tall menacing figure, Hiro recognized as Cale.

"What do you want traitor to the future," Sayli demanded then stopped as she coughed.

Cale stared coldly at them for a moment then moved his gaze around the cell.  His eyes narrowed to silts as he saw a gaping hole with light streaming in.

"Where are the other two," he growled.  When he replied no answer he grabbed Hiro by the neck of his sub-armor and slammed him up the side of the cell.

Hiro saw stars and felt pain enter his back area.  He struggled to remain silent not giving an inch to Cale's pleasure in torturing.

"Where are they!" Cale roared, and tossed Hiro down to the ground.

"That's for your stupid overgrown head to find out!" Hiro countered, picking himself up from the ground wincing a bit.  He took a protective stance in front of Sama and Sayli.

Cale snapped his fingers at the soldiers, "Get Halo and Wildfire, they need a lesson they will not forget."

"I don't think so," Hiro said as the first soldier came towards him and his friends.

He kicked the Nether soldier in the face, sending him to la-la-land.  Out of the corner of his left eye he saw a Shadow Soldier try to use the slightly dark prison cell to his advantage.  _Oh, no you don't.  You're not going to get away that easily_ , he thought as he brought his right leg up and kicked that soldier in a place where the sun don't shine.

"You fools!  Get rid of Hardrock, he isn't that hard," Cale yelled at the two remaining soldiers who were cautious in approaching Hiro.

"Remember Cale, I'm not my father.  You think you can get me, well try," Hiro taunted, and waggled his finger at the two soldiers inviting them to battle.

He kept a wary eye on the two soldiers as they circled him.  They charged at the same time and Hiro ducked down, as both soldiers ran into each other, effectively conking themselves out.

"You will die for this C-Hardrock," Cale said in a low deadly voice.

"No, you will die first," Sama said, rising painfully to his feet, one hand holding his rib area.

"Cale, you will cease to exist from where you stand," Sayli interjected, rising up behind Hiro.

"You, Wildfire and Halo think you're strong enough to fight me?" Cale laughed, and unsheathed his long sword, "You can't even summon you're armor in this prison."

"You forget, Future Warlord of Darkness, we don't need our armors in order to generate powers," Hiro said as an orange glow formed on his fists.  _I just hope that Sama and Sayli are strong enough to battle_ , he thought as he took a glance behind him, worried for his teammates.

                                    *                      *                      *

 Kaira shook her head in amazement as she saw many husks of Nether Soldiers strewn throughout a circle of a battlefield.  She noticed a glimmer of orange and light blue.

"I've spotted dad and Uncle Kento!" Shino said using his head to point out where the two warriors were, since his hands were pressing against Kaira's to form the bubble that carried the two of them through the air.

"Let's go," Kaira said and willed the bubble to float down to where Kento was leaning heavily on his staff-nunchucks and Cye who was collapsed on the ground.

                                    *                      *                      *

Kento looked up to see a floating bluish bubbled occupied by two people float down towards them.  As it got closer he recognized the occupants in the bubble.

"Cye?  Buddy?" Kento said, shaking Cye on the shoulder.

"Leave me alone, unless there are hoards of Shadow Soldiers coming our way, or if Quasa is back so I can kick her ass," Cye mumbled, a bit sleep induced.

"Cye, Shino's here," Kento said, shaking him again.

"He's not in my head," Cye mumbled again, making Kento look at him with confusion.

"I mean he _is_ here, along with Kaira," Kento said this time more forcefully.

"Hey, dad, you okay?" the voice of Shino said, and Cye cracked one sea blue eye open to see his future son looking at him with worry written all over his features.

"How…" Cye started, pulling himself into a sitting position, ignoring the protests of pain shooting up his back.

"The chains they were holding us in were designed to accommodate your sub-armors, not our skin-tight sub-armors.  So we escaped.  Sama and Sayli are slowly fading and Hiro's watching over them, just in case some hippie warlord likes to torture them for fun," Shino said angrily.

"You guys okay, I mean, you didn't look too good from up there," Kaira said pointing to the sky.

"Well, just battling a reincarnation of Blackhawk is just dandy," Cye said sarcastically.

"You mean Quasa is Blackhawk?" Kaira questioned blinking her blue eyes a few times.

"Yeah," Cye grunted then tried to stand up, using his yari as a supporter.

Suddenly there was a piercing wailing of a horn.

"Damn, they found out that we're gone," Shino cursed, "my guess is that they will head in you're direction, since they know that you have escaped also."

"Can't we go by air?" Kento asked.

"No, too risky, they have archers and it was tough getting to you guys in the first place without triggering any alarms.  Okay, lets move out," Kaira said.

"Can't move…too exhausted," Cye said, standing a bit wobbly.

"Here, let me help you," Kaira said, and placed her index fingers on either side of Cye's temples, "Life."

Cye immediately felt some of his strength return to him, "How did you do that?"

"When they conjunctioned my armor, a bit of the Elements was included," Kaira explained, then drew out one of her arrows from her endless supply, "here, stick this some place.  You won't be exhausted for around twenty-four hours."

"Hey, can I borrow one of that too?  Battling Dais is hard, and he ran away too," Kento said.

"Here dear Uncle Kento," Kaira said handing him one of her arrows.

"Move out!" Shino said and led the way.

                                    *                      *                      *

_Chapter 10_

 

Kareyn crept along the edges of the wall, hoping that no soldier or warlord could see her as she made her way towards Rowen's confident area that Sanjuro had pointed out.  Her armor made little creaks and squeaks as she moved stealthily towards the prison area.

"What's with the slow progress," Kayura's voice hissed into her ear, making her jump slightly in surprise.  She turned around and glared at the last of the Ancient's clan.

"Shut up, will ya.  You're gonna scare the willies out of me!" Kareyn hissed back slightly pissed at her.  She continued and slowly opened the door to the prison where Rowen was held.  It was dark in the surrounding area; the only light was illuminated into the pool.  Kareyn stifled back a cry of horror as she saw the warrior of Strata suspended above the pool, hanging limply.  Scars and dried blood caked his sub-armor, which gave off a faint dark blue glow.

She glanced behind her and faintly heard the hum of displeasure from Sanjuro.  Creeping forward, she drew out her katana wary of any soldier or dark-warlord that wanted to ambush her.  Seeing none, she sheathed her sword and put her hands together, forming a black sphere that levitated her.  She flew up to his height and reached out to untie him from his bonds.

"Watch out Elements!  The Nether spirits are still around!" she heard Kayura warn and a black tendril of lightning erupted from the pool and shot towards her.

Kareyn raised a hand and countered the black lightning with a blast of lightning from her palm.  She smiled grimly as she heard the chains holding up Rowen snap apart and grunted with effort as she tried to hold him up while concentrating on her bubble.  She landed on the ground and laid Rowen down onto the ground, slightly away from the pool.

"He looks bad, can your armor heal him?" Sanjuro asked, and Kareyn nodded, caressing a strand of blue hair that fell in the middle of his face, between his eyes.  She closed her eyes and placed a hand underneath his head and one held onto his right hand.  Her armor began to glow and pulsate a white-gray color while Rowen's sub-armor glowed brightly a deep blue color.

Lady Kayura and Sanjuro looked on as the wounds Rowen had began to seal together on their own and the scars flaked off to reveal healed skin.  Kareyn sat back after a few moments exhausted from extending her healing powers.

"You okay, Elements?" Kayura asked, as Kareyn swayed when she stood up.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Kareyn replied, waving her off as she took out her katana and pointed it towards the Nether Pool.  "Earth's Fury Attack!" she yelled and the pool was destroyed in a giant blast of energy, incinerating the water and Nether spirits.

"Kareyn!" Kayura and Sanjuro echoed out as she wavered in a step then fell onto her knees.

"I'll be fine!" Kareyn snarled, waving them back as she build up her strength, "just leave me alone for a few minutes."  She glanced into the distance and saw a shimmering form hovering where the Nether Pool was.  The form smiled at her and gave her thumbs up sign.  _Thank you Onyx, for protecting me all you can_ , Kareyn thought to the spirit and a warm glow enveloped her, renewing her energy.

                                    *                      *                      *

It was a tingling sensation at first, then an occasional zap of pain.  Ryo slowly awoke and realized that his whole body seemed to be in pain and burning like the heat of a volcano.  _Where am I?_ He wondered to himself when suddenly a surge of pain jolted his memory back.

"So glad that you are awake, Wildfire.  How do you like the sting I added to the Nether pool?" Sekhmet's voice taunted echoed inside the chamber where the pool was.

Ryo cleared his throat and coughed out flecks of blood.  His throat hurt and it was raw.  _I must have screamed all my energy out_ , Ryo thought to himself as he tried to speak, but only a whisper came out.

"You…you're a traitor," Ryo rasped out, painfully lifting his head to face Sekhemet who had appeared in front of him.

"Ah, but the Nether World has made me stronger, stronger than before!" Sekhemet cackled and Ryo looked deep into the future-warlord's beady black eyes and saw an amount of fear and Sekhemet's soul crying out, trying to be free.

"Fight it…Fight IT!" Ryo whispered harshly as he finally knew that the future-warlords weren't controlled by their own will.  Shadow Lord had Nether spirits possess them.

"It is too late.  You think that the real Sekhemet can hear you?" Ryo heard Sekhemet's voice being overlapped with an echoey distinctive voice of a Nether spirit.

"Sekhemet, warlord of Venom!  Master Shadow Lord wishes to see you!" Blackfire-Ryo's voice boomed through Ryo's prison.

"What did he want?" Sekhemet asked, his gaze not leaving Ryo's.

"I do not know.  But he is impatient," Blackfire-Ryo replied and Ryo blinked against the harsh light of the future-warlord teleporting away.

When Ryo opened his eyes again, his mouth fell open at the sight of his evil future-clone releasing Mia from her chains.

"What the…" Ryo started then felt himself falling through the air as Blackfire-Ryo's twin katanas slashed through the chains that were holding him above the Nether Pool.  He fell into the pool with a splash and immediately Nether Spirits surrounded him.  Ryo glared at them as he gritted his teeth.

"ARMOR OF WILDFIRE!  DAO JI!" Ryo yelled with the force of a volcano exploding.  Cherry blossom petals floated around him and after two flashes, he found himself back in the Nether Pool, in his Wildfire armor.  The Nether Spirits were still trying to break him with their power and Ryo decided he had enough.

"Enough is enough!  You guys need to take a long trip!" Ryo said angrily as he summoned the power of the Wildfire armor.  He took his twin katanas and stuck the ends together, "FLARE UP NOW!"  A wave of energy and fire ripped through the pool, sending millions of shards away as his sure-kill demolished the pool.  Ryo stood in the middle of the now dry pool, panting with exhaustion.

"I congratulate you, Wildfire," Blackfire-Ryo's voice said from behind him and Ryo spun around to face his future-clone.

"Why did you free me?" Ryo asked, narrowing his tiger-blue eyes to slits.  He didn't trust him for one second and held his katanas in a battle stance, ready for any tricks his clone was going to throw at him.

"You just don't get it do you, Wildfire, well you never do.  Here, take this," Blackfire-Ryo said and threw him a small black orb at Ryo, who caught it.

"What's this?" Ryo asked as he carefully examined the orb.  His breath caught in his throat as he saw the kanji of Bravery flare up a bit in the black orb.  He glanced up at Blackfire with surprise.

Blackfire nodded, "That's the Element's orb.  Kaira's mother, Kareyn is still in there, alive.  Give it to her, and tell her that only shout her mother's armor when she is back in her own timeline.  If she summons the Elements, then the consequences of your Kareyn of now, will be disastrous."

Ryo blinked as Blackfire abruptly teleported away to who knows where then glanced back at the Elements orb.  Its shiny black color glowed a bit, and Ryo thought the orb gave its human equivalent of a contented sigh.  He glanced tentatively at Mia who was smiling as she leaned against a wall.

"You all right, Mia?" Ryo asked coming over to her as he tucked the Elemental orb in a safe place underneath his armor.

"Yeah," Mia replied weakly and Ryo winced a bit as he felt pain shoot throughout him, "let's go get the others."

"Yeah," Ryo replied and rescued-carried her out of the prison.

                                    *                      *                      *

Sayli suddenly felt as if her strength was replenished as she took a protective stance in front of her injured teammate, Sama.  _Glad you're all right dad, mom_ , she mentally thought to them, but realized that they couldn't hear her since they were the past, and she was from the future.  She looked darkly towards Cale, and felt a red glowing power form on her fists.

"Cale, future-warlord of Darkness…eat this!" Sayli shouted and blasted energy and fire towards the future-warlord.

"What!?  How could you…" Cale started as he saw power and energy return to the C-Ronin leader.

"Looks like my father is free, and you are one dead warlord," Sayli said, giving him a smug smile.  She lifted her hands up and shouted, "Armor of Wildfire!  Rekka!"  The last thing she saw before engulfed in the flames of her alternate armor, was Hiro's surprised face, and Sama's amazed one.  She smiled grimly to herself as she felt like she was in a whirlpool of magma and forest fires.  Flames danced around her, licking her sub-armor.

There was only once when she summoned her alternate armor, but that had ended by almost killing herself by the intense flames.  Inside, she felt as if her whole body was an oven and she started to feel faint.  _Don't faint, you need to do this.  Wildfire conjunction armor is not enough, you have to do this_ , she told herself confidently.  She closed her eyes and concentrated, as from her right hand was a glowing ball of power.  She felt ribbons of flames wrap around her in a cocoon then suddenly release into the open.  Sayli opened her eyes and glanced at herself, fully decked in the C-Wildfire Alternate Armor.  She then glared at Cale, who took a slight step back.

"Now, we end this warlord of Darkness," Sayli said her voice slightly muffed by her faceplate as she took out her twin masuame.

                                    *                      *                      *

Sama could feel heat flowing from Sayli's armor.  _She actually did it; she transformed without killing herself!_ He thought excitedly, glad at their leader.  In a slight way, Sama was jealous of her.  She stood in a battle stance and the dim lights of the prison made her black-red armor mysterious.  Rekka, a nickname for the Alternate Armor, was angular and crystalline, almost in a way, like the Black Armor of Inferno.  But instead of looking malicious, the armor looked sleek and pristine.  Two things that did change when Sama looked at Sayli, were her hair color and her eye color.  Her hair, once jet-black was now, a dark red and her eye color was pure black.

He winced slightly as he felt pain erupt from his abdomen.  _Father, what's going on_ , he thought to his dad, and through their empathic connection, he could sense that he was in a lot of pain, but his resilience and strength still held through.  Suddenly a shadow was cast over him and he glanced up to see a Shadow soldier, smiling at him through teeth.

"Eat electricity Shadow," Sama managed through clench teeth as he summoned an electric ball of lightning and shot it straight up the Shadow soldier's face.

He grinned as the soldier fell back, dead, but suddenly doubled over in pain.  "Arrgh," Sama grunted as the pain continued and he felt waves and waves of psychic pain pour through his mind.  He weakly glanced up and saw Sayli ready for her sure-kill; he noted that Hiro had taken a couple of steps backwards, avoiding Sayli's sure-kill.

"Rekka!  VOLCANO FLARE!" Sayli yelled as she crossed her masuame together and fire-energy burst from the ends of the blades, incinerating Shadow and Nether soldiers alike.

Sama saw Cale thrown up into the hole where Shino and Kaira made their escape and out into the air.  Suddenly a pair or strong hands grabbed onto his arms and he glanced to his right to see Hiro's grim face.

"Can you make it?" Hiro asked him and he nodded.

"Yeah, I think I can," Sama replied as Hiro followed Sayli out of their prison and into the vast palace of the Shadow Realm.

                                    *                      *                      *

Sekhemet bowed down in front of Shadow Lord, slightly angry that he had summoned him when he was just in the middle of torturing Ryo of Wildfire.  "You summoned me my lord?" he asked.

"Stand up future-warlord…I did not summon you," Shadow Lord said and Sekhemet stood up, confused.

"But, Blackfire told me that you did," he stated and saw anger blaze in Shadow Lord's voided eyes.

Shadow Lord held up a hand and a viewing portal appeared.  "It would seem that we have a traitor in our mist," he growled and Sekhemet saw Blackfire free Wildfire and the young woman named Mia.

"My lord, let me go and destroy this vile creature!" Sekhemet shouted.

"No, we'll deal with him later," Shadow Lord said waving a hand and the portal disappeared.  Sekhemet noted that his eyes had a far away look then focused sharply on him.

"Go, gather the army and the rest of the warlords, we have a battle coming our way," Shadow Lord said gravely and Sekhemet saw an unreal hunger in the depths of his eyes.  He shuddered as he teleported away.

                                    *                      *                      *

Rowen slowly cracked open his eyes, and noted that no part of his body felt pain and nothing was holding him up.  He turned his head to the side looking around and saw that he was staring up at some stalatices.  Feeling began to creep back into his senses and he felt himself laying on a hard, cold, stone ground.  He raised a hand and felt his sub-armor.  There was no whip marks, or claw marks, not even a single scratch was on the sub-armor of Strata.  _What the hell happened?_ He wondered as he slowly lifted himself up, feeling slightly dizzy and disoriented.  His eyes reverted to a slight waning glow.  Debris and splotches of water coated the glowing area and he realized that it was the Nether Pool.

"Strata, you okay?" a voice said behind him and he turned slightly to see Lady Kayura kneeling down next to him.

"But…you're a traitor," Rowen said, narrowing his blue eyes.

"Was, my successor, was," another voice said and Rowen could make out a faint shimmering object that was floating near a person with black-silver sub-armor.

Rowen's jaw dropped open as he recognized the first wearer of the armor of Strata, his ancestor Sanjuro.  "Ah…ah…you're…a spirit," Rowen said dumbly as he found himself a lost for words.  He suddenly noticed the black-silver sub-armored person was Kareyn.  "Kareyn!" Rowen cried out and saw her snap her eyes open and gave him a sunny smile.

"Glad your awake Space Case!" Kareyn teased getting up from her meditating position.  "You feeling alright?" she asked frowning at him in concern when he stumbled a bit.

"Yeah, just fine.  I just need to get my bearings," Rowen said shaking his head a bit trying to get the dizziness away.  "Where are the others?" he asked.

"Captured, tortured, who knows," Kareyn said grimly then suddenly glanced at the door as three figures stepped through, one of them looked like he was going to collapse any second.

"Whoa, who did this?" she heard one of them comment and Kareyn recognized the voice as Hiro.

"Looks like the place got some decorations," another voice commented in an authoritative voice.

"Sayli?  Hiro?" Rowen asked tentatively as he leaned against his collapsible bow.

"Who's there?" Sayli's sharp voice said and Rowen heard the soft grinding of her armor rubbing against each other.

"It's just us, Rowen, Kareyn, Kayura and Sanjuro," Rowen said and he reeled back a bit as the daughter of Ryo stepped into the dim light of their little group.  He stared at her in shock and almost didn't recognize the leader of the C-Ronins.

"What happened to you?" Kareyn snorted as she made a cautious circle around the leader of the C-Ronins.

"Remember how she told you that she can summon the Inferno Armor only when Ryo is koed or something.  Well truth is, she can't," Hiro started then received a sharp jab in the stomach by Sayli who glared at him with her black eyes.

"This is the C-Wildfire's Alternate Armor, or we just dubbed it Rekka," Sayli inputted then glanced behind her.

Rowen looked over to what Sayli was staring at and saw someone in an almost replica Halo armor stumbling towards them.  "Sama," Rowen whispered as he recognized Sage's future son.  His mind began to churn all the worst case scenarios Sage was in.  _Stop it_ , he told himself as he tried to shut out the images.

"He's hurt bad.  And that means Halo isn't doing too well," Kayura stated as she managed to catch Sama before he hit the ground.

Suddenly there was a yell then an explosion that rumbled through the walls of the prison.  Rowen glanced towards the door and frowned, "That sounded like Ryo."

"Dad," Sayli whispered then took off.

"Sayli!  Wait!  You don't know what you're getting into!" Kayura said in protest then stopped in the middle of her sentence as Sayli's black eyes were drilled into hers.

"I know that my father needs help, so get out of my way Ancient," Sayli said in a deadly quiet voice.

"I'm coming with you," Rowen said and nodded to Kareyn who was leaning over Sama trying to ease his pain.  He felt a little better as he started after Sayli and only glanced once behind him to see Kareyn giving him a sad smile.  _Don't worry, I'll be safe_ , he thought to her as he followed Sayli to where Ryo was.  He had a feeling that Ryo was trying to free Sage, but had a tough time.  _Sage, I'm coming buddy_.

                                    *                      *                      *

Cye ran, his energy renewed as he felt that some of the other Ronin Warriors were safe and healing.  _This battle is going to be tough_ , he thought as he glanced over to his future son who looked like a fish in his sleek scaly sub-armor.  He suddenly skidded to a stop as an army of Nether Soldiers and Shadow Soldiers blocked the path in front of them.

"Oh, great the Calvary has arrived," Kaira commented sarcastically as she held her position.

"Come on, let's just take care of these tin cans and get going," Kento said and Cye nodded.  He crouched down then sprang at a group of them with impossible speed.  Cye lashed out with his right foot and caught one off guard and sent the soldier back into a couple, making them fall like bowling pins.

"Cye!  Duck!" he heard Shino cry and he instinctively ducked as the scythe of one of the soldiers passed over where his head was.

Cye punched the Shadow soldier in the gut and slammed his elbow on the soldier's neck making him fall.  He glanced over to his right and saw Shino forming light blue energy on his hands.  The blue energy blasted at some of the soldiers and froze each of them into ice.

"Hey look!  A new way to eat in the summer," Kento commented and Cye grinned.  He flipped back to avoid the stab of one of the soldiers then scissors kicked the soldier sending him into a wall and smoke of the dead spirit poured out of the openings of the soldier.

"Armor of Torrent!  Dao Shin!" Cye called out his armor and saw cherry blossoms roll around him.  After two flashes he found himself back in the battlefield decked out in his armor.

"Super Wave Smasher!" he yelled launching a high intensity powered jet of water and energy at the Shadow/Nether soldier army.  When he ended his sure kill he saw puddles of water around the dead bodies of the Nether soldiers.  Suddenly a piercing wailing of a Shadow Soldier filled the air and Cye grimaced against the sound.  He looked over to see Kaira decked out in her C-Strata armor; one of her fan swords stuck deep in the Shadow soldier's body.  Cye winced a bit as Kaira pushed a small button and the sword spread out like a fan, cutting through the soldier like scissors and paper.  The piercing wailing ended abruptly as the soldier fell to the ground, dead.

"Care not to do that?  I just had my lunch," Kento said making gagging noises as he pretended to throw up.

"You never had lunch Kento," Cye said giving him a sideways look.

"Oh yeah, so when is it?  I'm starving," Kento replied and Cye shook his head in exasperation.

"Let's go, the team needs us and I can feel that the final battle is drawing near," Shino ordered and Cye nodded in agreement.

"You guys, there's something I feel, I'll check with you later," Kaira said and she hurried away from the main group not looking back.  She could feel something stirring and was very familiar.  _Is this the path to my battle?_ She thought as she walked away.  Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Cye and Kento look at her oddly, but her blood brother only had an expression of understanding.

                                    *                      *                      *

_Chapter 11_

 

Sayli ran quickly towards the prison-like Nether pool where her future Uncle Sage was being kept.  She slashed at two Nether soldiers quickly, decapitating them from navel to groin.  They hissed as the spirits that possessed them were extinguished.  Her twin masuame glistened in the dim purplish light and she smiled faintly as she remembered during her timeline, Sage had given her the masuame as a present to go along with her Rekka armor.  He said that they were from a great warrior who dedicated her life to protecting him forever.

"Hold up," Ryo ordered and Sayli stopped for a moment catching her breath.

"What's the matter Ryo?" Rowen asked as he fingered his bow that he had taken off of his armor since he did not fully transform.  Rowen didn't want to transform yet because he was still healing.

Sayli noted that Ryo had closed his eyes and his eyebrows were creasing with effort.  She closed her own black eyes and let the power of her alternate armor flow throughout her.  She felt darkness around them, but as she extended her senses she noted that Halo's power was very faint and there was a giant black presence practically knocking on the door of his psyche.  _Sage, don't worry we're coming_ , she felt Ryo's mental message pour through the barriers of darkness eliminating some of them.

"I don't think so…You guys aren't getting near my Halo," a sharp voice said and Sayli snapped her eyes open to see Kamagati the dark warlady of Fears.

"I don't think so," Sayli snorted in disgust, "Sage isn't your plaything.  Not while he's my Uncle!"  She realized that she had been spending too much time around Kaira and picked up on her type of sarcastic language.  She slashed at Kamagati who raised up her Starlight Swords in a parry.  Sayli spared a glance at Ryo and Rowen.  "Go!  Get Sage!  I'll be fine!" she yelled to them and turned her full attention to Kamagati who glared at her through her dark blue eyes.

"You will die where you stand Rekka," Kamagati snarled as she pressed her swords against Sayli's masuame.

                                    *                      *                      *

Kaira ran, not looking back as she made her way down a darkened passage in the halls of the Nether palace.  The calling she had felt earlier was much stronger than before and Kaira ran blindly to it.  She knew that it was not evil, but very familiar to her yet she could not place the source of it.  In her mind she saw Sayli battling Kamagati and her future father and Ryo freeing Sage from his torturous bonds.  She also saw her future mother, Kareyn healing people the best she could all the while talking to something she could not see.  Mia was next to her also communicating with the thing.

"What is my destiny in the battle?" she whispered to herself as she ran.

                                    *                      *                      *

Rowen crouched down and sprang up towards his friend who was hanging limply from the chains and bonds.  He extended his right arm towards the single chain that was holding Sage above the pool and sliced through it like a knife through butter.  "Catch him Ryo!" Rowen shouted to the leader of the Ronins as he landed on the other side of the pool.  Ryo was standing in the middle of the pool unaffected by the swarms of Nether spirits trying to fry him with their lightning.

"Got him!" Ryo shouted as he rescued carried Sage out of the pool and set him down near the wall of the room.  Rowen ran over and picked up his discarded bow from the ground.

"Ro…Rowen?" Sage managed to get out as Rowen saw his eyes flutter open slowly.  Under his breath, he sighed in relief for his friend.

"You okay buddy?" Rowen asked, placing a hand on Sage's shoulder.

"Yeah," Sage whispered then his eyes shifted to Ryo who smiled.

"Glad you're fine Sage, we're gonna need your help," Ryo said as the two healthy warriors lifted Sage up by the arms and Sage leaned heavily against the two of them.  "Let's get going.  I just hope Sayli's done with Kamagati," Ryo said worry evident in his voice for his future daughter.

Rowen nodded in agreement and in a slight part of his mind, he wondered where his future daughter was.  _Kaira, be strong and safe_ , he mentally thought hoping that she would receive his telepathic message.

                                    *                      *                      *

Kamagati backed away cautiously, eyeing the warrior of Rekka.  She didn't like this at all.  _Wildfire's daughter wasn't supposed to get the armor on this soon.  The armor was supposed to kill her back when I created it_ , Kamagati thought to herself as she crossed her Starlight Swords together.

"Had enough warlord?" Sayli said as her black eyed glare found Kamagati's dark blue ones.

"Just getting warmed up girl!  You shouldn't contradict your elders you know," Kamagati hissed as she slashed at Sayli who brought her swords up in a parry.  Kamagati then cranked her left hand upwards catching the young warrior off guard and sent her flying back into a wall; blood dripping down a slightly deep cut on her chin.

"Feel the wrath of my Starlight Swords!  STAR SWORDS SCREAM!" Kamagati yelled as she unleashed purple lightning with great intensity at Sayli.  She saw the young warrior block the sure-kill with her masuame; Kamagati narrowed her eyes.  "You…will feel my WRATH!" she yelled as she saw Sayli's masuame thrown up into the air by her sure-kill and she slammed into a rock face.  She grinned with maniacal glee as she saw the warrior of Rekka barely conscious.

Kamagati made deliberate steps towards the young girl and suddenly her hand shot out and grabbed Sayli by the throat, choking her and slamming her against the rock face.  "So how does it feel Rekka?  You on the receiving end of my power, you just don't know when to quit.  Well, now…you will learn how I torture people, people whom I don't like," Kamagati said, giving her a cat-like grin.

"Bitch," Sayli spat blood into her face and Kamagati glared at her, her eyes flashing with uncontained fury.

"You little ass!  You dare do that to me?" she yelled in Rekka's face as she wiped the blood-spit from her face.  She took one of her swords and pressed it against Sayli's throat, wishing that she could just cut the soft flesh between the helmet and body-armor.  _No, not yet, she must know how to suffer.  Killing her outright and she won't know pain_ , she thought as she sheathed the sword.  She took a dagger and stabbed it into Sayli's wrist and straight into the rock.

She laughed as Sayli screamed in pain from the torn ligaments and muscles.  Kamagati took out another dagger and did the same to her other wrist, pinning her to the rock face.  "You…you are…you will…you will feel PAIN!" Kamagati yelled as she plunged another dagger into Sayli's right thigh.  She then twisted the dagger as she looked at Sayli through inhumane eyes; her face was one of pure evil glee.

"Rekka, you will feel pain then die at my hands," she whispered to the young warrior as she saw her eyes starting to cloud over.

                                    *                      *                      *

Ryo glanced around; his senses tingled with vibrations of an evil entity.  He narrowed his eyes, as he saw nothing.  Suddenly, pain flared up on one of his wrists, and Ryo almost dropped Sage as he fell to one knee.

"Ryo!  What's the matter buddy?" Rowen asked, as Ryo was breathing heavily; sweat started to bead up on his face then drip down.

"It's Sayli…she's in trouble," Ryo managed through clenched teeth as he grabbed his right wrist.  He took his hand off, and saw blood on the left armor glove.  "What the…" Ryo started as he glanced from his left hand to his right, but saw no puncture wounds.

"Weird," Sage commented as he knelt down besides Ryo, taking his right wrist into his hands.  He examined it carefully and Ryo saw that Halo's gaze was thoughtful, yet slightly puzzled.

"What's going on Sage?  I see no puncture wounds, yet I'm bleeding," Ryo asked, confusion laced his voice.

"It's not your blood, I think it's Sayli's," Sage said as he took some of the blood that was oozing out of Ryo's wrist and placed it on his Halo sword.  When the blood made contact with the mystical sword, it pooled to form the kanji of Wildfire, but altered.  Suddenly Sage grabbed his head as flashes of pain swept throughout his body.  "Ah…Kamagati is…torturing…Sayli," Sage managed through as he felt his link that the dark warlord implanted within him reveal what was happening to the leader of the C-Ronins.

"And you won't be here much longer to see it!" a familiar voice said behind them, only it was altered to have an echoed tone.

"Sekhmet," Ryo snarled as he turned around to face the warlord of Venom.  He took a glance behind, "Rowen, get Sage back to Kareyn so she could heal him!  I'll deal with old six-arms here."

"As ordered," Rowen said and willed his bow back to its dormant state, as he rescued lifted Sage and using Strata's natural speed in the sub-armor, he blurred off, making a green-blue streak in the distance.

"Now, Warlord of Venom, will you become traitor or will you become one of us?" Ryo said, narrowing his eyes.  He readied his twin katanas, holding them out in front of his, in a crossed 'x'.

"This battle will be your last," Sekhmet whispered in a harsh voice and threw two of his six katanas at Ryo.

                                    *                      *                      *

Rowen suddenly stopped in his tracks as he felt something sinister in the air.  He glanced around, his guard on full alert.  Suddenly two spears flew out from the darkness and Rowen jumped away from them, landing near a pillar.  "Sage stay here," he said to his best friend, who was semi-conscious.

"Yeah," Sage whispered as Rowen leaned him against the pillar.

"All right!  Show yourselves!" Rowen yelled, standing in a battle stance in front of Sage.  He peered into the darkness and suddenly ducked as an arrow came flying at him.  There were bright flashes of purple-black lightning and Nether/Shadow soldiers appeared, surround him and Sage.

Rowen narrowed his eyes as he blocked a blow from a Shadow soldier.  He kicked it in the stomach, and brought his elbow down on to the soldier's neck, cracking it.  Rowen didn't hesitate as he spun around, arcing his left leg in a head kick that sent another Nether soldier flying into a nearby wall.  Suddenly he went flying forward as a soldier kicked him in the back.  Rowen crashed to the ground and rolled forward until he was resting on the balls of his feet.

"So, how do you like my new soldiers?" a voice said from the darkness, and Rowen tried to suppress an involuntary shudder that ran down his spine.

"Raven," Rowen spat as he noticed his ancestor walking out of the dark shadows, decked out in his armor.  He stood up, and narrowed his blue eyes.

"You claim to be the rightful heir to the Armor of Strata?  Well, let us see," Raven said and brought his crossbow up to bear on Rowen.  He shot off multiple dark-energy arrows at Rowen who dodged.

"Armor of Strata!  DAO INOCHI!" Rowen yelled, summoning his armor.  Cherry blossoms fell around him as he held his arm steady from the onslaught of pure blue energy.  Each blossom that touched him formed into a part of his armor.  Last came his collapsible bow and there was a flash.  Rowen found himself back where he was, fighting Raven.

"Your armor, the Armor of Strata.  You think this worthless piece of armor is going to protect you from my onslaught?" Raven sneered and Rowen narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"You haven't met your match yet, you haven't faced what I can do," Rowen replied evenly and brought up his bow on Raven.  He notched an arrow and his eyes flashed with power.  "ARROW SHOCK WAVE!" Rowen yelled, and let the single arrow fly loose from his bow.

"THUNDER BOLT CUT!" he heard Sage's voice yell his sure-kill and Rowen spun around to see his friend, swiping his long sword, electric energy pouring off the blade and joined his sure-kill.

Rowen watched as both collided with Raven, engulfing him in a mass of air energy and lightning energy.  When the two sure-kills died out, Rowen let out a small gasp of surprise.  Raven was still standing, not even scratched from the sure-kills.  "What the hell?" he muttered as he readied his bow again.

"Rowen, deal with Raven.  I'll handle those super soldiers," Sage called out to him and Rowen spared a glance to see his friend start a battle with the juiced up soldiers.  _Sage, you're too weak, you're gonna get yourself killed_ , he thought as watched Sage battle, occasionally wincing as his wounds were not healed enough.

"Prepare to die!" Raven's voice alerted him to the danger and he ducked underneath a sword that Raven was holding.  He flipped over another swipe from the sword and landed a bit away from Raven.  Rowen brought up his bow in a parry; his muscles tensed as both warriors tested each other's strength.

"You are weak, just like your ancestor Sanjuro.  All bearers of the Armor of Strata have weakness…their kindness towards others.  Kindness is not needed in a battlefield, ever, even here.  You are so weak, so full of good-hearted that it makes…me…SICK!" Raven yelled as he suddenly brought up his crossbow and shot a few arrows at Rowen.

Rowen gasped in pain as some glanced off of him, their corrosive acid eating at his armor and his flesh.  He fell to the ground, slightly weakened and saw booted feet standing near him.  Rowen looked up into the dark, evil, eyes of his ancestor _.  I have to survive, I have to make it_ , he thought to himself.

                                    *                      *                      *

Sama watched Kareyn tend to Hiro and at the same time, talk to what seemed to be, the first wearer of the Armor of Strata, but in ghost form.  He leaned back against the cool wall of the Nether poolroom they occupied.  Suddenly he felt a flash of some sort, followed by a familiar insight and presence.  Sama sat up from his position and glanced around.

"Dad?" he whispered as he closed his eyes and searched with his mind's eye like his father in the future taught him too.  He saw a faint scene with his father fighting a whole bunch of Nether and Shadow soldiers, but they seemed to be more powerful and had a stronger aura.

"I have to help him," Sama said in a loud voice, startling the rest in the room and he glanced up at them.  "Uh, what?" he asked, as he scratched his short cropped blonde hair.

"Help who?" Mia asked, and Sama gave her a determined look.

"My father.  Sage is in trouble, I can sense it," he said and got up, the metallic green of his sub-armor winked and reflected the faint light coming from the demolished Nether pool.

"You shouldn't go, you're not healed," Kareyn started, but Sama held up a hand.

"If I don't help, then my father won't survive, and I will cease to exist," Sama stated.  He gave an even look at Kareyn and saw that she understood.

"Hiro, be careful.  You'll need to protect Mia for Sayli's sake.  I don't want her having a temper tantrum when she finds out you didn't do your job," Sama faced the younger warrior of C-Hardrock.

"Roger that, you be careful yourself Sama.  Kaira will have my head if you get hurt," Hiro replied and Sama cracked a small smile.  He nodded to the others in the room and left, headed towards where he sensed his father would be.

"Just where do you think you're going?" he heard a voice say from the shadows and Sama tensed.

"Show yourself," he demanded into the shadows and relaxed as Kaira stepped out of it.

"Sama, don't go.  I can sense something bad, something evil that is waiting for us.  You need to stay with Kareyn and the others," Kaira said, coming towards him, and Sama sensed that she had an extreme aura flowing around her.

"My father will die if I don't.  Please Kaira, don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Sama replied wrapping an arm around her slim waist as he drew her close to him.  He placed a small kiss on the top of her head, and felt her tense.

"Sama…just listen…" Kaira started, backing from his embrace and facing him.

Sama felt slight anger boiling in him and he narrowed his eyes.  "Kaira can’t you see, that if I don't do anything, then I will cease to exist!  Why are you so persistent?  Why can't you let me decide?" he yelled at her then stormed away, leaving her behind.

"Sama…" Kaira whispered then ran off in another direction.  She hated him for doing this…she tentatively knew what was going to happen, but she had yet still to see for herself.

                                    *                      *                      *

Kareyn watched as Sama left them and she stood up.  She glanced at Hiro and Mia.  "Let's go, let's go kick their asses," Kareyn ordered and Mia nodded.

"We're ready," Mia replied and Kareyn looked at her curiously.

"Uh, Mia, you need a weapon or else you're gonna get slaughtered out there," Kareyn stated and noticed that she looked sheepish.

"I have something you might want to protect yourself, Aunt Mia," Hiro said and handed her a small cylinder.

"What is it?" Mia asked, examining it.  She found a button and pressed it.  The cylinder's sides shot out in two different directions.  Both measured to about three feet in length.

"It’s a extendable staff that I sometimes use to practice.  Just use it to bonk any Nether or Shadow soldier that is coming towards you," Hiro said and Mia nodded.

"Good," Kareyn added then glanced at Sanjuro.  "Sanjuro, you read to fight?" Kareyn asked the spirit and Sanjuro nodded.

"Even I'm not part of the material world, I can still affect it," Sanjuro said and Kareyn grinned.

"All right, let's go and kick Shadow Lord's butt!" Kareyn yelled and led the way out of the Nether pool.  Her eyes held power that she was itching to use, and she glared at the door to the open space of the Nether realm, ready to have a final showdown with Shadow Lord.  _Shadow Lord, you will be mine, as for my ancestors have proclaimed.  The warrior of Nature shall destroy you._

                                    *                      *                      *

_Chapter 12_

 

            "My Lord, what next?" Blackhawk's mellow voice asked as he stepped from the shadows of the center hall of the Shadow Realm.

            Shadow Lord watched the warrior display a liquid grace in movement, his final form taken from a fallen warrior from the past.  Shadow Lord's eyes glowed with anticipation as he sensed Elements and her little friends making their way towards him.  "All is going to go as proceeded.  Sekhmet, Kamagati, and Raven have Wildfire, Rekka, Halo, and Strata all distracted.  They are the most powerful ones out of the original Ronin Warriors.  Torrent, Hardrock, and C-Torrent are all outside the barrier, unable to get in.  All that is left is to eliminate Elements and the other C-Ronins," Shadow Lord whispered mostly to himself as he drew out his Soul Strike Katana, a gift he inherited from Sokar who perished at Element's hands about a month ago.  "The same sword that killed the Guardian of Elements, Onyx Trent, will kill Elements herself today," Shadow Lord whispered harshly and glanced behind him at Blackhawk.

            "Yes, Shadow Lord.  Today is the day which everyone of them will die at our hands," Blackhawk replied stepping a bit into the light revealing himself as, Sokar a fallen warrior of the past.

                                                *                      *                      *

Kento glanced at Cye and Shino, raising an eyebrow in surprise as he saw both of their faces mirrored each other's; both calm and quiet as they ran towards the stronghold of the Nether Realm where their friends were possibly all ready fighting Shadow Lord and his forces.  _Things are gonna get tough, but we'll prevail_ , Kento reminded himself as he leapt up to one of the many lower level roofs of the stronghold.  "Hey Cye!  Any sign or way to get in this place?" Kento asked as the three of them stood a few feet apart from each other.

"No, doesn't look like it-" Cye replied but was suddenly cut off by Shino.

"Hold it…looks like a barrier…hnn…guys get back I'm gonna try something," Shino ordered and Kento's eyes widened as he saw a blue glow form on Shino's hand, having reverted back to his sub-armor form after their little fiasco with the Shadow and Nether soldiers.

He watched a ball of yellow energy mixed with light blue ice shoot towards one of the walls that they were standing in front of…then suddenly the blue ice shot back the way it came from as it rebounded the wall.  He saw Shino duck from the blue energy, giving a small cry of surprise as it shot past him with incredible speed.

"What the hell?" Kento wondered out loud as he eyed the wall carefully.

"Just what I suspected…he has this place shielded from any entry, whether it be human or energy…careful Uncle Kento, don't touch it or else you'll be fried," Shino warned him and Kento retracted his hand a bit suddenly afraid to touch the perfectly calm wall.

"Then how do we get in?  The others need our help and Ryo might have to summon the Inferno Armor," Cye asked and Kento nodded in agreement, giving a cursory glance at the young warrior.

"I think the top of the stronghold might give a bit of room for us to get in, since the barrier is only for defensive ground, not air attacking," Shino replied glancing up.  Kento followed his gaze and suddenly let out an exasperated sigh.

"You mean we have to climb _all_ the way up there?" he said, groaning a bit.  The damned building looked impossibly tall; almost stretching towards the clouds of the Nether Realm.

"That's an illusion Kento," Cye explained and Hardrock creased his forehead, confused.  "Its not that tall, we can make it to the top around maybe four five leaps if we go now while nothing's stopping us," Cye said, and Kento eyed the stronghold again.

"You sure?" Kento asked then shook his head a bit, "Aw hell…Dais sure did mess with my mind…damn him."

"Let's go," Shino ordered and Kento nodded, folding up his nunchucks and placing them in a small hold for them, on the side of his armor.  He crouched and jumped, sailing high into the air after Shino and Cye.  _Don't worry Ryo, we're coming_ , Kento thought as he landed then crouched again.

                                    *                      *                      *

Kareyn glanced around tentatively as she, Hiro, Kayura, Mia, and Sanjuro entered the darkened main hall of Shadow Lord's stronghold.  Evil radiated from all corners of the room, resonating like a pulse of a heartbeat.  It was almost as if this whole place was alive in someway.  _Whoa, don't go there Kareyn or else you'll go into creep's mode_ , Kareyn thought to herself as she focused her senses alert for any attack.

"Welcome," a voice boomed from the recesses of the room, making her stop in her tracks as she scanned the area.

"Where are you Shadow Lord!" Hiro shouted behind her, and out of the corner of her eye Kareyn saw Hiro get himself in a defensive formation, partially shielding Mia.

"I am here," Shadow Lord's voice bounced all over the room and Kareyn closed her eyes for a second, focusing her thoughts to pin point the voice.

She snapped them open and stared straight ahead, pointing her katana into the darkness.  "There," Kareyn said in a fairly loud and vicious voice.  She suddenly tensed again as a red light bathed the area putting the cloudy area into a red hazy fog… _almost like blood_ , Kareyn thought as she saw two figures standing in the middle of the room, one sitting down, the other standing beside the chair.

She walked forward cautiously with Kayura, Hiro, Sanjuro and Mia by her side.  "Mia, stay back, I don't want you to get hurt," Kareyn whispered waving a hand away at Mia.

"Yes, why don't you sit back and enjoy the show Mia Koji," Shadow Lord replied in a nasty voice and Kareyn whipped her head around as she heard Mia give a muffled cry of protest.  She saw Mia hanging on a black scaly tentacle that appeared from the middle of the ground.

"Mia!" Hiro cried out reaching a hand towards her but was stopped by Kayura.

"Don't Hiro, she'll be all right, Shadow Lord won’t hurt her for now…he's waiting for Wildfire," Kayura explained and Kareyn returned her gaze back to Shadow Lord.

"What the hell do you want asshole," Kareyn spat out, glaring at her enemy.

"Why I want you to die…that's all," Shadow Lord replied and snapped his fingers.  Kareyn's eyes widened as she saw Sokar step from the shadows, along with the future-warlords Cale and Dais.  "Clever isn't it?  Sokar is seemingly back from the dead after you killed him to avenge the death of your Guardian Onyx.  But, this isn't really Sokar, its actually Blackhawk," Shadow Lord said slyly and Kareyn stepped back a bit as Sanjuro moved in front of her.

"Shadow Lord…" Sanjuro began in a quiet yet seething-anger voice.

"Ah, the brother of my greatest warlord, you could have had your chance to join my ranks, but pity that you died at the hands of your own brother," Shadow Lord began then a cruel smile appeared on his black lips.

"I will not be able to fight you in this form, but mark my words, before you die you will see me as I was so many centuries ago.  You will die for all your murders, for the Guardian of Elements, my friends, Wanatabe, Hariel, Akira, and Takeru…my fellow warriors you killed them all," Sanjuro said in a deadly quiet voice.

"You are wrong you know that Shadow Lord…it wasn't me that killed the all mighty powerful Sokar…it was Halo, yes Halo, the deadliest warrior of all the Ronin Warriors.  His anger makes him a deadly enemy," Kareyn whispered, then suddenly whipped her katana up in a block as Cale leapt down from his place and towards them slashing his clawed arm, scattering Hiro and Kayura to one side while she and Sanjuro stayed on the other.

"We shall see," Shadow Lord replied softly as he drew out his Soul Strike Katana, waiting for a moment where Elements would be off guard.

                                    *                      *                      *

Ryo brought one of his twin katanas up in a parry against Sekhmet's sword, holding his hand high so the corrosive sword would not touch his armor.  That was his weakness, a weakness to poison from Sekhmet, but the warlord was too dense to use that to his advantage.  He broke away from his locked position and backed up a few steps, eyeing the future-warlord.

"What's the matter Wildfire?  Too much, for you?  My acidic swords eating away at you?" Sekhmet taunted and Ryo narrowed his tiger blue eyes.

"You were an ally, but you've turned," Ryo started in a low voice, "how could you call yourself one of us?  How could you have turned against us?"

"Shadow Lord made me better than what I was.  I was lowly, a nothing among you; during your battles with Sokar, I saw how weak and pathetic you all were, and when we time traveled to the future, you were still the same old pathetic human you were fighting Talpa," Sekhmet said then threw two of his six swords with deadly accuracy and speed at Ryo.

Ryo leapt out of the way, but too slow.  He felt the pain of the acid biting into his armor and through slowly at his skin as one of the blades passed near his arm.  He couldn't let those blades get near his eyes, not again; not like before when he was rescuing Sage after Talpa had scattered them.  Ryo hissed a bit as the searing pain spread throughout his arm, almost numbing it.  He dropped one of his katanas, as his left arm became numb.  "What the hell?" Ryo whispered sinking to the ground.  Suddenly he felt pain erupt from his stomach and with it he felt his future daughter's suffering.  "Ahh," Ryo cried out.

"Ah, looks like Kamagati is doing her own work…both Wildfire bearers will die," he distantly heard Sekhmet's taunting voice above him, the pain lancing throughout his body.

_Damn you Kamagati, don't you dare hurt her_ , Ryo thought as he froze, one of the Warlord of Venom's blades near his throat, close enough that he could feel the acid slowly eating at his exposed skin.  "Go ahead…kill me if you want," Ryo whispered harshly trying to flex his numbed left arm.

"Too easy Wildfire…I should just take you to Shadow Lord," Sekhmet drawled and Ryo glared at his former ally.

"Then I can say to Shadow Lord to go to hell," Ryo gritted his teeth as the blade inched closer, the acid now biting deeper.  _Shadow Lord must have done something to his acid, it hurts more than ever_ , he thought keeping an even gaze on the future-warlord of Venom.

Suddenly a black and white blur brushed past his vision and the acidic pain that was eating away at his skin was suddenly gone; punctuated by a roar of defiance from Black Blaze who now stood in front of Ryo protectively.

"Blaze," Ryo whispered, standing up, his armor healing his numbed left arm as quickly as it could.  He smiled a bit, as Black Blaze rubbed against him then glared his yellow eyes at Sekhmet.

"The tiger…" Sekhmet whispered and threw four swords at them.

Ryo leapt to one side as his tiger leapt to the other.  He glanced up and brought his right hand up, holding a katana, in a one-hand parry as Sekhmet brought his other two swords on top of him, intending to kill him.  Ryo heaved Sekhmet off of him and shook his left hand, feeling returning to it.  He picked up his discarded katana and glared at Sekhmet.  "Now we end this," Ryo said slowly.

He placed both ends of his twin katanas together, joining them into a bladed staff.  Swinging it around him, Ryo leapt high above Sekhmet and raised his joined katana in an overhead blow.  "FLARE UP NOW!" Ryo yelled his sure-kill as his katanas became a shining white of fire-energy.  He swiped down at Sekhmet unleashing the sure-kill that barreled its way towards Sekhmet.  Ryo shielded his eyes against the bright blast and when the blast died down, Sekhmet was laying flat on the ground, motionless.  Ryo hesitantly walked over, still a bit cautious that it could be a trap.  He saw that Sekhmet was hurt, badly, but he seemed to be recovering slowly.

"…Wildfire…" Sekhmet hissed a bit, his face contorted into pain.

Ryo narrowed his eyes as the future-warlord extended a hand towards him.  He fingered the handle of his katana and Black Blaze gave a low growl.

"Wildfire…where am I?  What happened?" Sekhmet asked, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head.  "Last thing I remember…"

"Good, you're back to normal," Ryo breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he didn't have to kill the future-warlord.  "Sekhmet are you strong enough to fight Shadow Lord?" Ryo asked, helping the warlord up.  He saw the Warlord of Venom nod a slight yes, standing on his own feet, still a bit disoriented from the blast of Ryo's sure-kill.  Ryo suddenly winced in pain, clutching his stomach as he felt his future daughter's pain.

"Black Blaze…take Sekhmet to Kareyn…she can heal him," Ryo managed to get out through clenched teeth, "I'm going after Kamagati."  He straightened as the pain lessened and ran towards where Sayli was fighting Kamagati, leaving Sekhmet and Black Blaze behind.

                                    *                      *                      *

_Dammit!  I can't do anything!_ Sanjuro thought furiously to himself as he watched Kareyn and the other battle Shadow Lord and his forces.  The others weren't even here yet, and they were loosing slowly.  The only thing he was able to do was to prevent the Nether spirits from taking over the armors, controlling them.  He couldn't even help Mia out of her prison.

Suddenly searing pain flared up from every part of his spirit body.  He could feel a familiar pain, almost as if he was in real battle again.  Amongst that pain he felt the current Strata armor bearer suffering.  _Rowen…Rowen's in trouble…_ Sanjuro thought grimly as he floated away from the battle and towards where the source of the pain was coming from.  He had to help the current bearer of Strata or else, risk loosing everything.

                                    *                      *                      *

_Please God, please…stop this…stop this_ , Sayli thought desperately as she ached all over from the multiple stab wounds Kamagati had inflicted on her.  Her wrists were probably broken, and she had a couple of broken ribs.  She felt herself being thrown to the ground, but she didn't care; the pain was too overwhelming.

"How do you like it Rekka?  You feel pain all over, yet you do not give in?  Why?" Kamagati taunted and Sayli curled up in pain.

"I…I…won't…not to you bitch," Sayli managed to get out before she gasped a bit as the wind was knocked out of her by a punch to her stomach.

"Don't you dare say that word to me, you insolent little brat!" Kamagati shouted, seething with anger as she drew out her sword.

"…Bitch…" a single voice rang out like a wave of molten lava through the area.

Sayli turned her head slightly and so did Kamagati as both saw a figure walking out from the blood-red mist, towards them.  The figure's hands were empty, but Sayli noticed that angry tiger blue eyes burned through all that mist.

"Wildfire," Kamagati stated flatly as she stepped away from Sayli and drew out her long sword.  The blade glistened against the blood-red mist as she held it in an en guarde position.  "Come to save you daughter?" Kamagati taunted acidly as she waved the sword near Sayli's neck then brought it back to an en guarde position.

"She doesn't need saving…she's strong enough to handle herself.  You however…" Sayli heard Ryo say, his voice unusually cold and bitter.

"Are you suggesting, Wildfire, that _I_ need saving?" Kamagati laughed, her voice echoing throughout the area.

"Do I look like I'm suggesting?" Ryo shot back and Sayli tried to repress a shudder.  His voice wasn't his normal voice, not the kind, warm voice she had so often heard back in her time-line.

"Then, if you have something to say, say it with your swords, Wildfire," Kamagati replied then charged at Ryo; her no-daichi swung a wide arc that was meant to decapitate a person's head with speed that was beyond human.

Sayli's eyes couldn’t follow the parry Ryo made with his twin katanas, but she heard the clanging noise of swords impacting each other.  The blood-red mist cleared enough for her to see Ryo pressing his swords against Kamagati's, both not giving way to each other.  Suddenly Ryo flipped backwards and stood in an en guarde position, breathing heavily as he watched Kamagati with his ice blue eyes.

Sayli turned her attention back to her own body and armor, which was glowing slightly as Rekka was trying to heal her.  She knew that the deep wounds Kamagati had inflicted on her would have to take time if they were to heal properly, but she had to help her future father.  _Come on Rekka; heal quicker_ , Sayli thought furiously at her own armor.  She wished that either Sama or Kaira were here, their healing powers would be of some help to her.  _Stop it, you're the leader of the C-Ronins…your teammates depend on you for leadership, you don't depend when you are injured.  You must be able to conqueror your own enemies first before receiving help from your friends_ , she reminded herself.  The words were from an ancient tablet she had found near the base of Mt.Fuji when her father and her went exploring; when he had created the C-Wildfire yoroi ball.

A sudden multiple clanging of swords brought her attention back to the fight between Ryo and Kamagati.  She stifled a gasp of horror as she saw Ryo staggered back, a bit winded.  His katanas were nowhere to be found on his hands and Kamagati was laughing maniacally.

"I have you now Wildfire…looks like your battle with that traitor Sekhmet left you a bit winded for me to finish you here and now.  If I destroy you now, your future daughter will be gone from this world!" Kamagati taunted, then raised her no-daichi high up into the air for the killing blow.

"NO!" Sayli yelled with all her might summoned the strength to pick herself up from the ground.  She felt her wounds shoot pain all over her in protest as she picked up one of her discarded masuame that was near her and ran with the speed of the gods towards Kamagati who was still poised over Ryo, unaware of what Sayli was doing.  Kamagati turned at the last minute, her face full of surprise and Sayli glared at her with her black eyes.

"VOLCANO FLARE!" Sayli yelled, her black eyes blazing with the hidden power of Rekka as she slashed downward at Kamagati's unprotected stance.  Her masuame cut downwards, slicing through armor and flesh as if they were thin rice papers.  Red-orange energy sprang from her masuame, burning Kamagati alive as she cut through the bearer of the Armor of Fears.  Suddenly Sayli turned her blade in mid-cut and threw Kamagati high into the air where the fire-energy from her sword burned her up into a million little crisp pieces.

As Kamagati's ashes fell downwards, Sayli felt herself falling to the ground, the pain of her injuries overwhelming her senses.  Suddenly a pair of strong hands held onto her and Sayli looked up to see her Ryo holding her.  She gave a small smile of victory before letting go of consciousness to let her armor heal her.

                                    *                      *                      *

Shadow Lord suddenly stiffened as he watched the battle.  He felt Kamagati's final cry in his mind then her presence was gone, snuffed out by one of the Ronins or C-Ronins.  With his mind's eye he reached out to grasp the trailing end of Kamagati's spirit and pulled it into his own.  Her spirit cried out against the entrapment of his black tangled web, where also all other spirits he had managed to capture stayed.

"Now here's where the fun begins," Shadow Lord whispered to himself as he watched the Warrior of Elements battle her way through his soldiers, trying to get at him.  After watching for a few more minutes, Shadow Lord decided he had enough and stood up from his throne-chair.  He silently signaled for the soldiers that were fighting Elements to stop their attack and he walked through them to where Kareyn was standing.  Her stance that of her ancestors, an ancient Chinese form of sword fighting that combined so many other sword techniques that it had no name.  But it was favored by the bearers of the Armor of Elements because of its lethal techniques and style of combat.  The reason it wasn't favored by any other warrior or soldier was because of the weakness in the person who battled with the stance.  Each bearer of the Armor of Elements was weaker than that of the Ronins or Warlords, but Kareyn was a slightly exception, Shadow Lord knew that much.

"Kareyn of the Elements, prepare to die like your predecessors," Shadow Lord challenged, holding butt of the Soul Strike Katana near his groin, the tip pointed to the ground next to his right foot.

"You will die first," was Kareyn's reply.

                                    *                      *                      *

Chapter 13

 

Their fighting took them to a different area in the Nether Realm, but the red mist still followed them.  Rowen dropped to the ground hard as he barley dodged a powerful swing from Raven.  _Shit!  He's gaining on me_ ; Rowen cursed silently as he rolled back and crouched on the balls of his feet.  He stood up and launched three arrows at quick succession at Raven who dodged the energy arrows.  Rowen brought up his bow to prevent a smashing blow from Raven's sword, then suddenly found himself kicked into a near by wall hard.  His head reeled from the painful impact and he tasted something coppery in his mouth.  He leaned down on the ground and coughed out blood.

"You're weak…you sicken me," Raven's voice said from above and Rowen looked up with bleary eyes at his ancestor.

"Go to hell and stay there," Rowen replied then fell to the ground, out of breath as Raven kicked him swiftly in the stomach.  _Aw, hell…_ he winced a bit as he drew shallow breaths.  Raven must have kicked him in the ribs and some probably bruised his lungs.

"Maybe I should kill you now-"

"Tokoshino Hashiba stand your ground," a commanding voice suddenly boomed across their battlefield.

Rowen turned his head to see the ghostly form of his ancestor Sanjuro who looked extremely pissed off and he narrowed his eyes as he saw something different in Sanjuro.  Sanjuro didn't looked pissed, he looked angry enough to go on a rampage of destruction…and to add to the fact that his eyes were actually glowing as if he had some other power.

"Ah…Sanjuro," Raven snorted with contempt and Rowen winced a bit as he dug his ankle in his stomach to prevent him from moving.  "You're still floating around in the after life?"

"Even though I am dead, my spirit will not rest until you are too…brother," Sanjuro spat the word and Rowen flinched a bit at the malice of his tone even though it was not directed at him.

"And how will you do that?  You don't have a body to inhabit or an armor to take over," Raven replied and Rowen suddenly tensed as he got an idea.

He struggled against Raven's weight on him and muttered none too loudly; "He does now."  Rowen closed his eyes and concentrated, willing his armor to go to Sanjuro.  Flashes of pain followed when he transferred most of his armor's power to his spiritual ancestor, leaving only enough power for him to stay in his sub-armor.  He didn't know if his gamble could work, would Sanjuro be human?  Or would it be a fruitless effort.  The pain intensified and Rowen could only grimace as he heard Raven laugh.

"Well now…looks like you're effort didn't work, Strata," Raven smiled evilly at him and Rowen glared back.

"Armor of Strata!  Tenku!"

                                    *                      *                      *

Sanjuro could feel the growing power within him and he embraced it, trying to make it whole, trying to make himself whole again.  Finally the power flow from Rowen stopped and he opened his eyes and nodded a thank you to the young warrior who was still struggling beneath the warrior of Darkness.

Sanjuro closed his eyes and concentrated, drawing the power through himself.  He felt his body form into what it was before his brother killed him-human flesh.  "Armor of Strata!  Tenku!" Sanjuro yelled the Japanese name for his armor, his blue eyes blazing with the ancient power of Strata.

A column of blue-wind surround him breathing life to the ancient armor of Strata, a traditional samurai armor, dark blue in color, but protected by mystical powers.  The wind died down and he found himself back on the battlefield, floating a few inches above the ground, a blue protective bubble around him.

He lifted his head up and glared at his brother who had an expression of shock written over his face.  "You're opponent for your final battle will be me," Sanjuro said curtly, drawing out a katana and holding it in front of him.  He floated down to the ground; the rough handle of his katana felt good in his hands, so long had it been since he held one.

"Poor worthless soul…dear brother…" Raven hissed at him, rising up from Rowen's limp form.

Sanjuro noted that Rowen was semi-conscious but he knew that he had to end the battle quickly so that Rowen would have his armor back and he would be able to heal himself from the wounds he had received.  He looked back at Raven who drew his sword and held it in the same position as he was _.  This is it, we're both trained in the same kenjutsu.  It’s a test of skill_ , Sanjuro thought darkly as he watched Raven's moves carefully.

Raven suddenly blurred away from his vision, disappearing into the super-speed of his own armor and Sanjuro countered with the Tenku armor's speed-the only one of the nine armors to have speed that surpassed all others.  Sanjuro brought his katana up in a overhand parry, blocking a swipe from his brother that would have taken his head off.

He jumped back a bit then charged at him again and swung a wide arc to his left.  He felt the shuddering impact of their swords clashing together again, and Sanjuro quickly brought his katana downwards in a deadly slash that was meant to decapitate a person from head all the way down to the groin.

"You're getting weak…" Raven's voice hissed in his ear as they both met, pressing against each other.

"…Don't bet on it," Sanjuro replied, gritting his teeth in an effort to hold his weight against Raven.  He suddenly ducked underneath the blade and slashed at Raven's kneecaps.  Sanjuro smiled crookedly as he felt his blade connect with his brother's armored kneecap and Raven's yelp of pain.  He rolled underneath Raven's falling form and brought his katana up and smashed it against the small of Raven's back, enticing another cry of pain from him.

Sanjuro stood up and watched as Raven coughed up blood then glared up at him, his eyes blazing with anger.  "How dare you," Raven spat more blood out then wiped it messily with his right arm.

"A thousand years has given me time to think.  I am not what you faced on that battlefield.  I am not weak," Sanjuro replied then charged again at Raven, and parried a weak blow from him.  He sprang back and narrowed his eyes as Raven slowly stood up, coughing up blood.  "I didn't hit you that hard…"

"No…you didn't…a thousand years of immortality has its price too," Raven spat blood out then lifted up his sword and yelled a war cry then charged at Sanjuro.

Sanjuro suddenly found himself high in the air, plunging to the ground in a final attack-then he saw everything in slow motion…his sword touching his brother's armor-the weakest point in the joints; his katana cutting through the flesh, lacerating all the way down through the right side; his hands pulling out the sword, discarding it quickly and he saw himself holding the form of his brother-almost dead…then his brother's eyes closed and a peaceful smile was on his face…time suddenly sped up.

Sanjuro's cry of despair rumbled through the Nether Realm…the cry of a man who had killed his own brother.

                                    *                      *                      *

Sage felt strength return to him and he knew that Kamagati's influence on him was gone.  He grinned at the super-soldiers that were ready to pounce on him for the final kill.  "Well, now…" he started then jumped high into the air.  "THUNDER BOLT CUT!" Sage yelled, swiping lightning-energy at the soldiers, incinerating a few of them.

"LIGHTNING SLASH!"

Sage spun around just in time to see his future son take out a whole lot of the super-Shadow and Nether soldiers.  Suddenly his battle sense told him to duck and he did, as where he was before, a scythe passed overhead.  Sage jammed his sword up the stomach of the soldier that had swung the scythe, killing it.

"Sama?" Sage asked, as the spiky blonde haired boy walked up, a grim smile on his face.

"Dad, you ok?" Sama asked, looking over him in concern, "Kamagati-"

"I know, she's dead…finally…"

"Good, then lets mop up the rest and join Kareyn and the others…"

"Before that, we have to go help Rowen and Ryo," Sage explained remembering that Rowen had gone to fight his ancestor and Ryo had stopped Sekhmet.

"No need for that, Sage, we're here," Ryo's voice said from behind a group of soldiers and suddenly they blasted apart and in the middle of the blast, Ryo stood, holding his swords.  Sayli was next to him, her black eyes taking in everything.

Sage nodded a bit in greeting, then spun around and decapitated the last super-soldier.  He turned back around and faced Ryo and Sayli who were walking over to them.  "You ok Ryo?  You look beat…"

"Should ask you first since Kamagati was the bitch that she is," Ryo replied and Sage laughed lightly.

"Did you kill her Ryo?" Sama asked, trying hard to avoid the blankness and blackness of Sayli's gaze.  It was unnerving to have her look at you with black eyes.

Sage tried to suppress a shudder than ran down his spine as Sayli's eyes focused on him.  He didn't see cold in them, but just a warmth that was full of concern.  _But in that warmth there can be a cold to snuff it out_ , Sage thought as he looked back at Ryo who was shaking his head 'no.'

"Sayli killed her," Ryo replied and Sage raised and eyebrow at a new found respect for the warrior of…

"Why is Sayli's eyes black?  I thought they were Mia's green," he asked, slightly confused.

"Oh, I forgot…Sayli's in her alternate armor, we called it Rekka, ya know, Japanese for Fire," Sama explained and Sage nodded again.  Suddenly he stiffened as a ghostly cry ran through his head, a cry of a man who had just killed his own brother.

"Sage!  What's wrong?" Ryo's voice pierced his ears, and he shook his head rapidly.

"Rowen…no…something is up with-" he stopped abruptly as he brushed past them and ran towards the direction where Rowen had took the fight with Raven.  He heard the rapid footsteps of the others following him.  Something was up with the Armor of Strata and he didn't like it.

                                    *                      *                      *

Shadow Lord smiled behind his mask as he felt Raven's life force drain away.  He caught the last thread of it and pulled it towards him, savoring the taste of it as Raven's warrior spirit entered him.  He had monitored the battle between the two brothers and had hungered for the raw power that Raven and Sanjuro had.  He couldn't touch Sanjuro because the armor on him was some how shielding him, so he touched the life-string he had held for Raven.  Now the Darkness was within him.  He then returned his gaze back down to the form of Kareyn of the Elements who was holding up his large sword.  He gave her a malicious smile then brought his sword around, swinging in a wide arc.

"Too slow Shadow Lord," Kareyn taunted and he felt some anger rising up within him.  The pest was so young, so he had to counter act-it wasn't like the Kareyn he had fought in the future, after Talpa's defeat for the third time.

"You will die…like you did when I sealed up your spirit in your yoroi ball," he hissed at her and saw a frown appear on her face.  "You know that when I came from the future, it was specifically to destroy you.  You, of all the Ronin Warriors, you are the one that poses the most threat to me."

"Good, then that makes my job easier," Kareyn replied and came in fast with her sword.  Shadow Lord blocked her swings, then countered with a blast of dark energy at her.  He smiled as she fell back, a bit winded.  He was about to finish her off when there was a crash of glass falling from above and he glanced up, his eyes blazing with anger.

"SUPER WAVE SMASHER!"

"IRON ROCK CRUSHER!"

"ICE FREEZE!"

Shadow Lord watched as energy from all three sure-kills plunged down at him, engulfing him in their energy.  He smiled slightly as he felt the power behind them slam into him and forced himself to breathe with steady breaths as he absorbed the power of those sure-kills.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the two warriors of Torrent and Hardrock surround him, angry set faces and eyes that glared at him.  "Too slow," he whispered before taking a deep breath and then blasted the sure-kills back at their owners.  Shadow Lord laughed as he watched them fall within their sure-kills then glanced over to where C-Hardrock, Kayura, Wildfire's damned tiger were fending off Dais, Cale and Sokar-Blackhawk.  Where were his soldiers…he frowned a bit as he did a mind search within the Nether Realm.  Ah, there they were; they were trying to catch up to the rest of the puny warriors that were almost here.

Suddenly he blinked a bit as he felt something hit him mentally like a punch to his gut.  What was that presence that he felt?  It wasn't one of the warriors, it was someone new, no, someone very old.

"…Sanjuro…" Shadow Lord hissed underneath his breath as he watched Elements get up again, though this time her face was contorted into a lot of pain.

                                    *                      *                      *

Hiro was pissed.  "They put us up against some stinking hard-ass warlords that we don't even want to fight," he muttered mostly to himself as he brought his staff down onto Cale's back, then leapt out of the way as Cale swiped with his clawed hand.  "Cale!  Stop this!  Don't you understand we're your allies?  Don't you remember the future?" he shouted at the warlord as he held his staff defensively.

"The future," Cale sneered then slashed again with his claw, "is nothing!"

Hiro ducked to avoid the quick retaliation then slammed down at his claw with his staff and was surprised as his claw fell off.  He looked quickly up and saw Cale fade away.  Damn, another one of his illusions, he kept a wary gaze on his surroundings.  Kayura and White Blaze were fighting both Sokar and Dais, but Dais looked to be weakening from Shadow Lord's evil spell.

He suddenly jumped high into the air to avoid Cale's deadly sword and landed a few feet away from him.  "What do you mean by 'the future is nothing'?" Hiro asked narrowing his eyes in anger.

"Your future is nothing!  It is nothing but peace!  I am sick and tired of that peace!" Cale shouted with fury.  "Black Lightning Slash!"

Hiro's eyes widened at the black lightning attack, then brought his staff up and slammed it down towards the earth, "Rocks of Internal!"

Both sure-kills from both warriors clashed in the middle, throwing explosive firepower into the air.  Hiro shielded his eyes from the glaring blast then glanced over to where Cale stood…or used to stand.  He grinning slightly as he saw Cale knocked out from the after-wash of power from both of their sure-kills.  "Cool," Hiro commented then glanced towards where White Blaze and Kayura were concentrating their efforts on Sokar, Dais already knocked out to the side.

"Kayura!  White Blaze!  Duck!" Hiro shouted at them then powered his sure-kill up, "ROCKS OF INTERNAL!"  He watched with grim satisfaction as his earth-powered sure-kill bowled its way towards Sokar.

                                    *                      *                      *

Kareyn managed to stand up, despite her various injuries and bruises crying out in protest.  She was beyond pissed off as she stared fiercely at Shadow Lord.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cye, Shino, and Kento rising to their feet, a bit winded, but ready to fight.  Focusing her gaze back onto Shadow Lord she narrowed her eyes.

"Ah, back for more?" Shadow Lord purred like a cat trapping its prey.

"Bring it on," she coughed slightly, wincing as a flash of pain shot through her ribs.  _Must have cracked some_ , she thought as she readied her katana in front of her.

"Kareyn!  Don't!  You're injured!" Kento shouted at her but she ignored him.  She moved forward a few steps, one hand holding her ribs as they rubbed painfully against each other.

"Yes…come on Elements…come to your death!" Shadow Lord hissed and Kareyn narrowed her eyes.

She felt fire and heat radiating near her and glanced back to see two bright red auras, followed by two bright green ones, and one slightly faint blue one, but behind all of them, a very blinding blue aura.

"No…how dare…" she heard Shadow Lord's astonished voice, mixed with a hint of fear.

"Oh, I dare all right, Shadow Lord.  I dare because you're going to die right here and now," Sanjuro proclaimed, floating from the back of the group up next to her.

All Kareyn could do is blink at the once spirit form of the former bearer of Strata, now fully human and a deadly glow around him.  "Sanjuro…" she whispered as she saw in Rowen's ancestor's eyes, a fire, lit by centuries of hatred, now ready to be unleashed.

"I told you before, Shadow Lord, 'I will not be able to fight you in this form, but mark my words, before you die you will see me as I was so many centuries ago.'  Now is my revenge against you.  Prepare yourself," Sanjuro said, his ancient samurai armor creaking a bit as he brought up a very ancient looking katana up in a stance that Kareyn recognized as her own.

"Form the Inferno guys!" Cye called out from his position on the left side of Shadow Lord.

Kareyn watched as different colored balls of light and energy fly towards Ryo who stood next to his future daughter.  The balls of light hovered around Ryo, waiting…Kareyn realized that Rowen's armor energy wasn't among them and saw him in the back of the group, leaning heavily against a pillar, blood flowing from various wounds on his body.

"Rowen!" Kareyn cried out a warning as black tentacles sprouted from the ground and caught him in their grasp, wrapping around him like a cocoon.

"Just to even the odds," Shadow Lord said and Kareyn whipped her head around to glare at him.

"Armor of Inferno!  Rage of Inferno!"

Kareyn saw that Ryo had completed his Armor of Inferno, his tiger blue eyes glowing a bit icily behind his faceplate as his sure-kill surged towards Shadow Lord.  A faint glow from the corner of her eyes brought her head to see Kayura, holding the Ancient's staff, the bulb glowing brightly to provide the last burst of power to form the Armor of Inferno.

She turned around and faced Shadow Lord who was wiping the last remnants of Ryo's sure-kill away from his face and armor.  "Ready," she whispered as she kept her focus on Shadow Lord, knowing that this would be one of her toughest battles.

                                    *                      *                      *

Chapter 14

 

Sanjuro kept his guard up as Shadow Lord wiped away the remnants of Ryo's Inferno Armor's attack.  His eyes took a quick glance around as he saw Cye, Kento, and Kayura floating in their protective bubbles, their eyes closed and focusing their power for Ryo's Inferno Armor.  What was odd was that Sage wasn't in his protective bubble; in fact, the warrior of Halo was still standing up and he emitted a bright green aura around him.  Glancing back, he saw Rowen, struggling within the black tentacles that had caught him.

"That's all you've got Wildfire?" Shadow Lord laughed out loud then looked at them in a way Sanjuro didn't like.

He felt it before he saw it and his eyes widened with surprise.  "Look out!" he shouted as various black tentacles shot up from the ground of the Nether World.  He leapt out of the way as one tried to grab him from his right and slashed down at it with his katana.  The tentacle withered to the ground as its black blood spurted from its mortal wound.

He heard yells of surprise and various slashes of weapons as the others cut away their attackers.  "Get Mia and Rowen down!  When I attack, he's going to crush them!" Sanjuro yelled as he remembered that Shadow Lord had planned this type of an attack so long ago.

"So…you remember," Shadow Lord purred and Sanjuro narrowed his eyes, "good…then…"

Sanjuro suddenly brought his katana up in a parry as Shadow Lord attacked.  He pressed against the blade then heard the screams of Mia and Rowen, being crushed by the black tentacles, extensions of Shadow Lord's powers.  _Hurry up_ , he urged the others as he jumped away then came at Shadow Lord, his blade swinging a wide arc.  Cutting the blade short from slicing Shadow Lord's head, he instead, rammed it upwards, catching the evil overlord in the shoulder blades.  Blood poured from Shadow Lord's wound as Sanjuro pressed the blade through, not caring if the evil blood poured over him also.  This was his temporary body, provided by the power of Strata, he was just a spirit hitching a ride.

"…Damn…you…" Shadow Lord croaked out painfully as he pushed himself away from Sanjuro, putting a hand to his injured shoulder.

Sanjuro set his blade once again, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he watched Shadow Lord regenerate his severed muscles and nerves, this time a cautious look in his eyes.  _Round two…Shadow Lord…just you and me._

                                    *                      *                      *

Kareyn didn't bother to watch Sanjuro's fight with Shadow Lord.  She knew that the spirit of the first bearer of Strata would be able to handle the evil lord for sometime before he needed any help.  Instead, she focused on the black tentacle things that was holding Rowen and Mia.  Even though she did not see them before, she vaguely remembered them from somewhere, but she couldn't pin point it.

"Kareyn!  Two behind you!" Sayli shouted and Kareyn leapt out of the way as two more of the black tentacles shot up from the ground of the Nether World, intending on taking her into their grasp.  "Earth's Fury Attack!" she yelled her sure kill as it blazed from her katana, promptly frying the two tentacles.

"Rocks of Internal!" Hiro's voice cried out somewhere near her and she saw that Hiro was trying to hold off a bunch of Shadow and Nether Soldiers.  Shino and Sama were next to him, unleashing their sure-kills at the various soldiers.  White Blaze, no, Black Blaze was growling and attacking with an eerie uncanny ability, decimating the ranks of soldiers.

Where was Sage? Kareyn wondered as she glanced around, looking for the warrior of Halo.  She spotted him, not in a protective bubble like Cye, Kento, and Kayura were…but he was…she shook her head, not really believing what she was seeing.

Was it her?  Was it Onyx?  "No…" she breathed softly as she recognized the faint spirit aura her long time guardian and protector, infusing itself within Sage's Halo armor; providing him with extra strength to fight.

There was a strangled cry from Rowen and Kareyn snapped back around, her focus back to the black tentacles.  She had to save him, for her sake and the sake of her future daughter.  Where was she?  Kareyn wondered then shook her head.  She couldn't afford to space out right now…she had to concentrate.

"Rowen!  Get your protective bubble around you now!" Sayli shouted, running her way.  Her dark red hair flowed behind her like a wave of molten lava and she placed her twin masuame together in preparation for her sure-kill.

Kareyn saw that Rowen had managed to hear them and comply with Sayli's orders despite all the pain that he was feeling.  _That's the true warrior of Strata…never backing down when pain is constant_ , she thought as she timed her sure-kill to be exact with Sayli's.  They had to eradicate the black tentacles holding Rowen, not let them regenerate like all the others did; they had to destroy it completely.

"VOLCANO-"

"EARTH'S FURY-"

"FLARE!  ATTACK!" both Sayli and Kareyn shouted at the same time, unleashing their powerful sure-kills at the black tentacles that were holding Rowen up.  The blast was bright and Kareyn shielded her eyes from it.  When it died down she glanced up to see Rowen, floating in his protective bubble, a look of pure exhaustion on his face…then the bubble disappeared and he fell to the ground.

"Rowen!" Kareyn cried out, running over to him and knelt down next to him, her hands cradling his face.

She watched as his eyes fluttered open and a smile appeared on his face, "Help…Sanjuro…use, your," Rowen took a deep breath, "ultimate…sure-kill."  With that, he lapsed into unconsciousness and a bluish bubble formed around him, floating him up and towards the other Ronin Warriors who were in their comatose-like state, adding his power to Ryo's Inferno Armor.

"What did he say?" Sayli came over, her hand resting on one of Kareyn's shoulder armor-pads.

"Sayli?  What's my ultimate sure-kill?" Kareyn asked looking into the black voids of the Warrior of Rekka's eyes.  A small frown appeared on her face as she felt Sayli's hand lift off of her shoulder and she stepped back slightly…afraid?

"No…don't make me tell you," Sayli whispered, her voice a bit hoarse.

Kareyn realized that Sayli knew the sure-kill that would kill her in the future, and that she, Kareyn of the Elements, was leader over the C-Ronins.  Which meant that she had the power to force the answer from Sayli.  But did she want to?  Was it going to kill her again?  This time, not in the future, but right here and now?

                                    *                      *                      *

Ryo glanced at Sage who was glowing with some unknown power, making him immune to the effects of summoning the Inferno Armor.  "Sage!  Stand ready to catch Mia!" Ryo ordered the warrior of Halo.

"No," Sage replied and Ryo looked at him incredulously.  "The tentacles' weakness is to lightning.  You catch Mia since your armor can provide her with some protection due to her connection with the Inferno.  Besides, I've got added power to make my sure-kill ten-fold."

Ryo nodded slowly then back out of Sage's way as he walked up to it, his daichi drawn out, ready to slice anything that got in his way.  "THUNDER BOLT CUT!" Sage yelled, whipping his daichi around and blasting the tentacles with greater power than Ryo had ever seen within Sage's attack.  It was like when Sage was first freed from his rocky prison before they had fought Talpa, except it was ten-times as powerful as that previous sure-kill.

The incredible blast died down and Ryo sprinted forward and caught Mia in his arms.  He gently shook her until her eyes opened and she started to cough from the lack of air.  "Mia?" Ryo whispered hesitantly.

"I'm…all right Ryo," Mia replied, one of her hands reaching up and touched him briefly on his chin, one of the few parts of his body that wasn't covered by the Inferno Armor.

There was roar from Black Blaze and Ryo glanced up to see his faithful tiger bounding towards them, ready to do his job in protecting Mia as he went off to fight Shadow Lord.  "Thanks, Black Blaze," Ryo said, and the tiger rumbled an affectionate purr.  Ryo gently placed Mia on Black Blaze's back and nodded to his future wife.  "Be careful," he cautioned her.

"Don't worry, Ryo," Mia grinned, her energy coming back to her as she held up and extendable staff, "as soon as you finish defeating Shadow Lord, I want some serious self-defense lessons."

Ryo nodded then watched as Black Blaze bounded towards the edge of the fight, trying to keep Mia out of harm's way.  Turning back to face Sage, Ryo nodded his thanks then cleared his throat.  "How did you know that they were weak to lightning?" Ryo asked.

"Onyx," was Sage's reply and Ryo stood rooted to the ground with shock.

                                    *                      *                      *

Sanjuro sensed that the others were steadily defeating Shadow Lord's minions and it wouldn't be long until they had the combined powers of the C-Ronins and Ryo's Inferno Armor.  But included into the batch was Kareyn's Elements Armor, supposed to be one of the deadliest armors ever, but Sanjuro sensed that Kareyn didn't know the full capacity and capability of her own armor.

He blocked a strike coming for his head from Shadow Lord then pushed against the Dark Lord and spun around quickly and slashed downwards.  His hand shook a bit at the force of Shadow Lord's block then reversed his tactics and slashed an 'x' at Shadow Lord.  Following the attack, Sanjuro stabbed at some of his vital points, but was blocked by Shadow Lord.

"You're getting better…much better since we last fought," Shadow Lord hissed as both sprang back, both panting a bit from their furious fight.

"This is anger.  Anger at corrupting my brother, anger at you destroying all that I held dear, anger that I had building within me until the day came that I could unleash it," Sanjuro growled.

"And now-"

"Now you die where you stand, Shadow Lord.  We cannot have you destroying all that we worked so hard for," Ryo's voice burst into their conversation and Sanjuro risked a glance back to see Ryo, Sage, glowing; he raised an eyebrow at Sage's appearance, Kareyn, and Sayli standing behind him, their weapons raised and ready.

"And no more messing with the future, like you did with Kareyn's spirit during the aftermath of Talpa's death," Sama's voice came from the other side of the battlefield and Sanjuro looked to see the rest of the C-Ronins, minus Kaira, ready for the final showdown.  A mass pile of dead soldier bodies was behind them, giving a creepy look to the warriors ready for battle.

"Your card Shadow Lord," Sanjuro turned back to face Shadow Lord who had a frown on his face.  "Your call."

                                    *                      *                      *

Sage watched Shadow Lord warily behind his faceplate.  He felt surges of power running through his mind, and spirit and was grateful that Onyx had arrived, if not in a more ironic form, to fulfill her promise.  He would fulfill his promise to her, even though he did back a month ago.  But this time, he would be ready and willing to add into the killing of Shadow Lord, the mastermind of Sokar's plans.

He watched as Shadow Lord backed away slowly, his sword waving around cautiously.  _And fearfully_ , Onyx's melodic voice whispered in his head, a bit sarcastic sounding and Sage cracked a small smile.  _Yes_ , he agreed silently, knowing that the spirit of his former love could hear him perfectly.  He was grateful that she had lent him support and incredible amounts of power and energy, instead of him being stuck inside a protective sphere like the others.  This was the first time he actually saw how Ryo fought using the Inferno Armor, even though he had seen him against Saberstryke.  _But that's different…Wildfire only had one of the Soul Swords with him.  He wasn't able to drain almost all the power from you back then_ ; Onyx replied then tapped him lightly.  Focus Sage, Shadow Lord's up to something…

And he was Sage observed as he raised his daichi slightly, his eyes wary for any unsuspecting attack.  Shadow Lord was still back away, but his face had no expression on it.  He looked like he had something up his sleeve.

"No where to run, Shadow Lord," a new voice spoke up behind him and Sage looked beyond Shadow Lord to see the petite warrior of C-Strata, holding what looked to be fan-swords, something rare that he hadn't seen since his grandfather took him to an ancient museum.  There was another figure behind Kaira and Sage narrowed his eyes as he saw Ryo's future clone appear, but there was something odd about the clone.

_Ah, I knew that Wildfire-clone would come to his senses eventually…_ Onyx said smugly and Sage inwardly glared at her.  _You knew all this!_   He accused her.  _No_ , Onyx replied giving him a mental smile.  _When Shadow Lord and his minions entered the Nether World, I found Ryo-clone with them.  I tried to my fullest efforts to convince him that he's on the wrong side, but I guess those seeds of uncertainty I planted in him have taken root.  Ah, Sage, pay attention my warrior of Halo._

Sage dragged his attention away from Onyx, even though he desperately wanted to talk to her and missed her so much since she died in the hands of Sokar about a month ago.  Shadow Lord had a look of surprise written on his face as he turned around to face the C-Ronin warrior of Strata.

"Traitor," Shadow Lord growled out and Sage noticed that Ryo-clone didn't look a bit ashamed; in fact the Wildfire-clone looked a bit cocky.

"So…sue me," Blackfire-Ryo replied darkly then glowered at Shadow Lord.  "I've had enough of your meddling with the timeline.  That was the reason I was created from the cells of Ryo Sanada, the true bearer of the Wildfire/Inferno Armor."

"What a melodramatic speech," Shadow Lord sneered then took a step towards the two warriors.  He suddenly stopped and closed his eyes then took a deep breath.

"What the hell?!" both Kento and Hiro commented at the same time.

Sage blinked in surprise as he saw Shadow Lord suddenly flashed with dark power, the battle-ki blast sending shockwaves around.  He shielded his eyes and mind against the devastating blast, but heard the shocked cries of his friends.  Uh oh…Onyx whispered inside his head, I forgot that they weren't psychic-ki protected…

"No more of this Shadow Lord," Sage growled as he glared at Shadow Lord, an inky black aura surrounding the Dark Lord.

"S-Shadow…Lord…" Kareyn's voice spoke up with great effort from the other side of the battlefield and Sage saw the Warrior of Element get up, her armor scuffled in places, but she glowed an unusually bright silver.

_No…no…don't do it Kareyn!  DON'T!_ Onyx screamed in his head and he winced inwardly at the terror-filled mental scream.  _Don't what?_ He asked the spirit Guardian.

"Oh dear God…Mom?  NO!  You can't control it!  You'll kill yourself!" Kaira yelled, picking herself up from the floor.

Sage looked around and saw that Ryo was standing also, but he looked seriously beaten, but the rest of the C-Ronins didn't look too fazed, except their faces were all mirrors of terror.  What the heck was Kareyn doing? He wondered as he saw the silver aura around Kareyn glow brighter with each passing second.

"Armor of Elements…NATURE'S-" she started.

"MOTHER NO!!!!!"

"-DESTRUCTION-"

"Kareyn!  Don't do it!"

"-WAVE!"

A huge blast of silvery energy-light flashed from Kareyn, engulfing her within the light.  The energy-light traveled a narrow distance directly towards the black aura Shadow Lord and Sage got a quick look of Shadow Lord's terrified face before the silver-energy-light engulfed him too.

Without stopping, the energy-light spread around the Nether World and the last thing Sage saw was the energy-light coming towards him, then all was a bright white.

                                    *                      *                      *

Rowen gasped a bit in surprise as he suddenly found himself in a field with green grass and rolling hills.  Straw huts sat in the distance and he could see people milling in and out of the huts.

"How does it feel?" a voice said behind him and he spun around to see Sanjuro…and Raven?  No…it was Tokoshino, dressed in the traditional samurai obi, his katana at his side and he was smiling happily.

"Sanjuro?  T-Tokoshino?" Rowen blinked.  Where was he anyway?

"Yes, my successor…I'm sorry you had to go through that, but my mind was twisted beyond recognition.  I didn't know the right path of a Ronin Warrior…" Tokoshino replied then bowed deeply.

"Rowen, please, take care of Kareyn.  She needs you more than you'll ever know.  I know what will happen in the future, but I hesitate to tell you to alter it more.  Be well, Warrior of Strata," Sanjuro replied then faded away as everything turned suddenly black.

Rowen felt himself collapse and hit the ground.

                                    *                      *                      *

Kento and Ryo looked around their surroundings…it was heavily wooded and there was no sound.  "Where are we?" Kento commented.

"I don't know…" Ryo replied, his eyes wary for any type of attack.

"Ryo of the Wildfire, Kento of Hardrock…you must keep your leadership guard up for more trials in your future," a voice they had not heard in a long time spoke behind them and both of them spun around simultaneously.

"Ancient One?!"

The world then became black.

                                    *                      *                      *

Cye stood off to one side of a storm blown bay, the howling winds reaching for his ears.  He recognized the place, it was his hometown and it looked to be the same storm his father had died in when he was very young.

"Don't worry about me, son.  Look to your future and keep it up.  Your future son needs all the support he can get," his father's ghostly voice carried by the wind blew past his ears.

Cye suddenly felt alone in the world, but then smiled as he remembered that his friends were still there for him.  "I know, father…"

The world suddenly turned upside down and he collapsed.

                                    *                      *                      *

Sage looked around…he was at a Shinto shrine, a very old one to say the least.  Where was he anyway?  The last thing he remembered was fighting Shadow Lord and Onyx…

"I missed you," Onyx's musical voice brought his head around and he saw her, not in spirit form, but in body and flesh.  Her long brown-gold hair was flowing down her back and her piercing eyes hidden underneath a few strands of her bangs.  She was wearing a kimono, a pastel green-gold one in fact.

"Onyx?" Sage started.

"Shh…I need to leave now, but…I will always remember you.  Find your love somewhere near, my Warrior of Halo," Onyx blew him a kiss before fading away.

"Onyx!  No!" Sage cried out then swirling blackness over took him.

                                    *                      *                      *

Kareyn found herself on top of a building, a very high building overlooking Toyama.  She frowned, confused.  She remembered her own armor glowing with intense power, power she thought she never had.  This was the key to her ultimate sure-kill, Sayli had told her.  And she had unleashed it…so was she dead then?

"No, not exactly…your sure-kill goes two ways, like a swing door.  It can destroy and it can heal.  You combined both, to destroy Shadow Lord forever and to heal your friends," a voice said behind her and she saw her father, a much younger version of her father standing before her.

"Two ways-" she managed to get out before she felt as if she was socked hard in the stomach and she collapsed.

                                    *                      *                      *

The silvery-energy-wave died down and Kareyn looked solemnly at Shadow Lord's charred form.  She could feel his life-energy dying away and glared at the Dark Lord.

"Forever you will know me, Kareyn of the Elements," Kareyn said softly as Shadow Lord's life force drained completely away.

                                    *                      *                      *

**Epilogue**

 

Kaira glanced sadly at the group in front of her.  The Ronin Warriors stood in a line, facing her and the rest of the C-Ronins.  She knew what she had to do, and she was the only one that can.

"Go on, Kaira, you know that it has to be done or else the timeline will be frayed," Kayura ordered her nudging her a bit with her Ancient staff.

Kaira glanced at her for a moment then back at her future mother and the others.  She lifted up a black orb that shone a bit in the bright sunlight and the kanji of Bravery glowed a bit.  "Okay," she whispered and walked in front of Kento who had volunteered first.  "You sure you want to be first Kento?" Kaira asked him doubtful.

"Don't worry munchkin, I'll be glad that this nightmare is over," Kento said folding his arms across his chest and smiled a bit down on Kaira.

"I'll be only erasing the memories that you had of us and filling them in with a tie in to the blank spots," Kaira reminded him and placed her index fingers on each of the temple of Kento's head.  She closed her eyes for a few moments then opened them again.  She glanced at her future uncle and saw that his eyes were blank and stared into nothing.

"Wow, that's the second time I've seen Kento do that.  The first time was when we took him to a buffet," Cye commented sarcastically and laughter ran around both groups.

Kaira glanced down then back up for a moment.  She sighed and proceeded to mind-replace Sage.  When he was done she did it for the rest of the Ronins with the exception of her future parents.

"Hey, don't worry Kaira, I'll see you in a few years," Rowen comforted her, ruffling her blue hair.  Kaira could see hints of tears in his eyes as he looked down at her.

"Okay," she replied, sniffing a bit.  She reached up and placed her index fingers on his temples and closed her eyes.  After a few minutes she opened them again and saw a blank look on Rowen's face.  She sniffed loudly then felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Kaira, don't cry.  Did I teach you not to cry when you feel sad?" Kareyn asked, smiling at her.

"Uh, yeah," Kaira said, grinning as her nose was turning red from her tears.  She hiccuped a bit then chasten her self mentally for embarrassing herself in front of her teammates.

"All right, now get this over with, cause you've gotta get home!" Kareyn said in a mock angry voice.

"Yes, ma'am," Kaira replied and placed her fingers on Kareyn's temples.  Before closing her eyes she looked deep into her future mother's eyes and saw a glimpse of the future in them.  She smiled and closed her eyes.  A few minutes later she opened them again and saw that Kareyn's eyes were blank.  She stepped back and a pair of strong hands rested on her shoulders.

"It's okay Kaira, you had to do it," Sama told her as she leaned against his strong, lean form, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Let's go home," she whispered and grinned as Hiro whooped with joy.

                                    *                      *                      *

**Year: 2012**

 

A portal appeared with a flash and six figures stepped through.  The portal closed after the figures were through and one glanced at the sky.

"Looks like they aren't awake yet," Kayura noted as the sky was still dark, but the early light of dawn was peeking through.

"So what did my future dad give you?" Sayli asked Kaira who was fingering the black orb.

"I dunno…let's see," Kaira murmured then her eyes grew distanced as she remembered something Wildfire told her.  She held out the orb and concentrated, "ARMOR OF THE ELEMENTS!"

Everyone shielded their eyes as a giant white flash occurred from the orb and when it died down, Kareyn of the Elements not looking a day older since she died around three years ago, standing in her black-white armor.

"Mom?" Kaira said her jaw dropping open.  She stared at her like an alien and found that her muscles were frozen in place and she couldn't move.

"I knew you would do it," Kareyn said her voice had a slightly overlapping tone to it.

"Onyx?" Sama started as the overlapping voice disappeared and the spirit of the Guardian of Elements appeared besides Kareyn.

"Sayli?  Kaira?  What's going on," Mia's sleepy voice said from the doorway to the mansion and the C-Ronins parted to show Kareyn and the spirit Onyx Trent.  "Oh, my god," Mia said in a hushed voice as she dropped her teacup on the porch of the mansion.

"Mia!  Are you all right?" Ryo's concerned voice said from inside the house and five men and three women came out of the door.  "What the…" Ryo started as he stopped dead in his tracks the other seven people crashing into him.

A slight wind blew by, ruffling Kareyn's long blue-black hair, making some strands fly into her face accenting her mysterious look.  She grinned slightly behind her armor helmet, as Rowen looked shocked to see her.

"Uh, Kareyn?" Rowen started blinking his eyes a few times.

"Wait, she could be a Nether goon," Christine's voice said from within the group.

"No, that's Onyx with her, and I know for sure that if Onyx is here, than that is Kareyn," Sage said giving a grim smile to the spirit.

"My cousin," Sheia whispered as she saw the spirit of her cousin.

"Hi Rowen," Kareyn said shyly.  She powered down to her sub-armor and hugged Rowen tightly.  "I missed you," she whispered into his ear.  She kissed him lightly on the lips and looked deep into his eyes.

"I missed you too, Kareyn of the Elements," Rowen said in a fierce whisper as they stared into each other, love shining in both their eyes.

"Aww, how cute," Hiro interjected loudly.

"Shut up!" Kaira said and whacked him in the head.  She grinned with satisfaction as Hiro rubbed the part where she hit him.

"My work here is done, Ronin Warriors.  I will be seeing you in the future," Kayura said and disappeared into a time portal.

                                    *                      *                      *

**Year: 1989**

 

Kareyn waved a good-bye to seven people who were standing in a group as she boarded her flight back to the United States.  She was going to miss them, especially Rowen.

"Call when you get home!" Kento yelled to her and Kareyn nodded.

"I will!  Bye guys!  Bye Rowen!   Bye dad!" Kareyn called as she slowly disappeared into the tunnel that led to her plane.  She was hesitant, but she had to go back because of her schooling.

"I will see them again," she promised herself as she walked into the plane and looked around for a seat that was close to the window.  She remembered everything about the fight with Shadow Lord.  Her future daughter's attempt at a mind-wipe didn't work on her.  _Ronin Warriors, I'll be back very soon_ , she thought to herself as the plane took off from Toyama, Japan.

                                    *                      *                      *


End file.
